Putting on one of Shakespeare’s histories is certainly a bold move for a student production – they are often much more difficult to follow than a comedy or tragedy and pose more of a challenge when it comes to engaging an audience. Funky Jumper Productions, however, have excellently adapted Shakespeare’s Richard II to the student stage.
The play begins with the funeral of Richard II’s (Arthur Bellamy) uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and a proposed duel between two noblemen: Thomas Mowbray (George Eustace) and Henry Bolingbroke (Ollie Gillam), who accuse each other of coordinating his untimely death. The king banishes them from the country, only to seize Bolingbroke’s inheritance to fund a war in Ireland. Bolingbroke and his allies take the opportunity to organise a rebellion, resulting in Richard’s surrender, the crowning of Bolingbroke as Henry IV and later Richard’s death.
As a history, the play falls into neither the comedy nor the tragedy categories of Shakespearean productions. But the cast still managed to brilliantly bring out the comedic elements of Richard II, providing relief from a play otherwise filled with long dramatic speeches.
Bellamy in particular gave a standout performance, showcasing the variety of Richard II’s character. His comedic timing as a royal villain was excellent, and he made it clear when he was making an offhand funny comment which felt very realistic. He also gave a convincing performance of Richard in a more emotional tone as he questions his identity after losing the crown. I also enjoyed Freddie Houlahan’s Duke of York – he perfectly embodied the character of a comical old man in his mannerisms.
Despite being a play heavy with male characters, the production also highlighted its female characters with memorable performances especially by Helen Dallas as the Duchess of York who clearly expressed the character’s motivations, despite having few lines.
The choice of staging made the play striking and immersive. Surrounded by the gothic architecture and the painted statues of St John’s College Chapel, the play was truly grounded in its medieval setting. The Chapel was decorated with fresh flowers and featured a live guitarist and organ music, which really added to the folksy yet dramatically medieval atmosphere. Innovative use was made of the lighting available; at more dramatic scenes the lights were turned off aside from low lighting around the Chapel’s altar, which really highlighted the intensity of the scenes.
The production also utilised the stage very well, as the actors were continuously moving up and down the Chapel, and at some points lines were performed from outside of the Chapel doors, or recorded and played from the balcony. It really felt like the world of Richard II had been recreated in St John’s Chapel while the audience was anchored in the middle of it all. I also appreciated the provision of a scene-by-scene synopsis and list of characters in order of speaking, particularly given that Shakespeare, and especially his histories, can often be difficult to follow, especially when the original script has been cut down.
Overall, Funky Jumper Productions’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II was an immersive experience, which rose to the challenge of adapting a Shakespearean history to the student stage. Its success lies in playing on the comedic elements of the script and utilising the dramatic visuals of the setting. The only complaint with the production was that the chapel space made it difficult at times to hear lines clearly especially with so much movement around the stage and it is definitely a more enjoyable experience on the front row without the chapel’s candlesticks in the way – pick your seats wisely!
[Richard II, a production by Funky Jumper Productions, is running at St John’s Chapel 12th-14th March]