It’s opening night of Richard II at The Bridge Theatre in London. With staging in the round, The Bridge Theater is one of London’s newer venues and is the first theatre run by London Theatre Company which was founded by Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr in 2017. Hytner himself is in the director’s chair for this production. My dad and I are Shakespeare lovers and have been to The Bridge once before, yet until last night we had not seen a production of Richard II so went in pretty blind as to what was in store for us.
Both my dad and I remarked how much we enjoyed the text itself. As previously noted, we were unfamiliar with the play and though the production was indeed amazing, we also noted how much the dynamism of the text kept us gripped for the nearly three hour run-time. Based on the history of Richard II and his reign, the play centers around the banishment of Bullingbrook and the repercussions which England as a whole faces as a result. The tables turn by the end and – in typical tragic Shakespearean style – ‘now as Henry IV, Henry imprisons Richard, and Richard is murdered in prison’.
The big name plastered onto this production is Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey, playing the titular role. Although not a big Bridgerton watcher personally, I am familiar with Bailey’s work and was intrigued to see him act live. It is safe to say he certainly surprised me. The Bridge describes Richard as ‘charismatic, eloquent, and flamboyantly witty’ and Bailey’s performance nailed this as it was certainly very dynamic and often comical, using the hubris of Richard as comedic material to play with. As the play progressed this laughable bravado became steadily more pronounced. Yet you began to question why you were laughing, pausing after each comical moment to wonder about Richard’s mental state. His facial expressions had me in a trance, especially his wide hungry eyes that flitted about the audience – seeking validation or escape? This is the question you are left to ponder.
Another standout was Royce Pierreson as Henry Bullingbrook, who I immediately recognised from my favorite Netflix show The Witcher (much more my speed than Bridgerton admittedly…) Pierreson and Bailey were an unlikely pair but they worked perfectly together on stage. It’s easy to question where your loyalties lie when you have two such compelling figures on either side. There was a certain reservedness to Bullingbrook that helped highlight his progression from accused traitor, to exiled man, to warmaker, and finally to King. It also meant that the moments of violence he enacted had a more dramatic impact.
Though a largely traditional interpretation, there were some modern twists added to the play. In the second half, the “trial” of Richard was staged in a setting evoking that of a modern courtroom, with all members dressed in crisp modern suits and ties. The costuming was clever and certainly placed the scene in a much more modern context that was thus more digestible. Though the rest of the play is fairly time ambiguous I would nevertheless question such an abrupt transition into more modern displays. I am sceptical as to whether this modern transition fits into the rest of the play – but it was memorable, if nothing else.
The direction and staging was also very clever. With plays in the round you always need to be extra cautious of blocking the audience. Similarly, being specific and strategic about where the actors are moving on stage is essential. Both Hytner and Olivier award-winning movement director James Cousins rose to this challenge well. The set used rising and falling alternating sections, which meant that these could be arranged in advance before rising up onto the main stage set ready for the relevant scene. Whilst this kept the piece flowing and allowed for greater creativity in the set displays, it did also restrict actors’ movement: though I would argue this was largely unnoticeable (though I am sure if I were acting on that stage I would forget my spot and fall down one of the gaping holes!).
All in all, Richard II was an enjoyable performance and made what can be a lengthy and content-heavy piece dynamic and digestible. If you are lucky enough to fight your way to some tickets, I highly recommend going.