It’s certainly not a summer of discontent for Shakespeare. And there’s no better place locally than the Red Rose Theatre company who put on amazing interpretations of the works of Shakespeare, as those of you who have seen the production of Richard III are sure to agree. So with only a few days left to see the story of the cruel King we caught up with Artist Director and Founder of Red Rose Chain Joanna Carrick, along with members of the cast, and support staff for a ‘Post-Show’ Q&A with the audience.

Richard III is a post war play, and very early in the plot there is talk of the war being over, so the idea for this play was to align the timing to something more current, a post-war era that people of today could connect with. Joanna revealed that in her research she had discovered that when Shakespeare wrote the play the story of Richard III was of a similar time away (a couple of generations). The era that was chosen for this play was similar in timing.

As in many other performances put on by the Red Rose Chain, the actors play more than one part. The same was true in this play, where all actors played multiple parts, with the exception of Lawrence Russell, who played Richard III. The audience was in complete agreement that each part that was played was completely believeable, and the quality of acting, the changing of roles, the personal characteristics and movements, the dancing, and the changing accents made this a fast paced and engaging performance.

And because it is a Red Rose Chain production you know there are going to be some additions that arguably were not in the original script, such as the Tango, performed by Lawrence as Richard III and Edward Day as Queen Elizabeth. You’ll have to see it to believe it … I’ll say no more! None the less, it is a major scene in the play, and one which ends when Queen Elizabeth is seduced by the King. The reality is that he has murdered her children, so it really is weird and perverse, and the audience can only sit by and watch as she is totally manipulated by King Richard, in a manner similar to how he manipulated Anne.

The audience learnt how much the cast enjoyed creating all the characters, and how much fun is had in rehearsals. The cast do not have long to rehearse, and even though the content was reduced from the original script, time is still needed to develop characters. It was clear that the cast particularly enjoyed creating the character of the Bishop, and everyone noted his raucous laughter, which the cast commented on as sounding increasing like the clucking of a chicken!

Some of the audience members were experiencing the interpretation of the Shakespeare in a new way, and one member of the audience even noted that she could not have imagined that one could laugh at Richard III, but that she did laugh, and she loved it. Humour is a big part of the intrepretation for the Red Rose Chain, and for this production this included a plate of custard tarts. Joanna also pointed out that not all the humour was added, that much was already there in the subtext, and that you just have to look for it and you will find it. Furthermore, whilst people expect plays to fall into one or the other, the Red Rose Chain performances show that life is not like that, such that Shakespeare’s tragedies can also include humour.

One particular scene that stands out is where the young Princes are taken off to the Tower. Already a horrendous part of the story, the interpretation made it even more horrendous, where we see two boys in shorts with mismatching suitcases and a teddy, and then the game playing with the ‘uncles’ before the deadly deed is carried out. The scene was well delivered, and was the outcome of some early improvisation where the two boys were evacuee children who had arrived to stay with uncles who knew nothing about children. Things came out of this which became part of the play … including doing horrid things to a teddy with the tie!

This week the cast have also started the rehearsals for The Theatre in the Forest, this summer we will be treated to The Tempest. The contrasting content of the two plays can influence the way Richard III is then delivered, as well as the mood of the audience. But this is the magic of live performance, as no two performances and no two audiences are the same.

The team at the Red Rose Chain are also busy preparing for their 25 hour Shakespearathon, a round the clock celebration of all things Shakespeare. There will be live streaming of the event, and lots of different things going on, including live performances by artists and the public alike. It’s your chance to get involved in a relaxed environment, and be part of this special event.

For more information on Richard III and to book click here.

For more information on this year’s Theatre in the Forest product of The Tempest, running between and to book click here.

For more information on the Shakespearathon and to book click here.