Much Wenlock Festival
http://www.muchwenlockfestival.co.uk/events/richard-iii.shtmlThe Festival Play: Richard III
| Date: | Monday 9th June to Saturday 14th June | ||
| Time: | 7.30pm | ||
| Venue: | The Church Green. Much Wenlock | ||
| Admission: | Monday to Thursday £12 (concessions £10) Friday £14 (no concessions) Saturday £16 (no concessions) (for all performances £2 extra on the door) | ||
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| Sponsor: | The Shropshire Star www.shropshirestar.com |
Event Details
Directed by Ken Allden, who co-directed the highly-acclaimed production of All’s Well That Ends Well in 2006, the Shropshire Drama Company (SDC) will present Richard III by William Shakespeare.
The story is of the crookback Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who plots and murders his way to the top job by eliminating the competition in the shape of his many relatives and rivals. Described by Sir Ian Mckellen as “exciting, sexy, funny and violent”, the play is a study of villainy and Richard’s malice, wrath, envy, dissimulation and wit can be seen as Shakespeare’s portrait of what we would now call psychopathic behaviour: “A model that stretches ahead to Hitler and Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe as well as to the many tyrants of the workplace so familiar to many people”, observes Ken Allden.
Richard of Gloucester will be played by Peter Beechey, well-known to local audiences for his accomplished portrayals of Shakespeare’s leads. Peter spent a number of years with the National Youth Theatre in London performing at the Shaw Theatre and The Roundhouse before moving back to Shropshire. He has featured on radio and television and is one of the longest serving members of the SDC. His most recent performances for the Company include Hotspur in Henry IV Part One, Richard Lionheart in The Lion In Winter, The Fool in King Lear, Henry Drummond in the highly acclaimed production of Inherit the Wind and Lord Lafew in All’s Well That Ends Well.
Ken Allden continues: “This will be a spectacular gala production in a magnificent setting and we are very fortunate to have such a high calibre cast to maintain the reputation of the Shropshire Drama Company in bringing this fantastic piece of theatre to the Much Wenlock Festival in our anniversary year. The play is a ripping yarn as well as providing a fascinating insight into the terrors of life under a murderous, tyrannical regime.”
The Church Green will once again be the setting for what promises to be a memorable evening. With fully raked seating everyone is promised an excellent view of the stage. There is plenty of space for picnics beforehand or during the interval and the Festival Bar will also be available.
The Raven Hotel, a short walk from the Church Green, will be offering pre-theatre suppers from 6 pm. To make a reservation please contact the Raven Hotel on 01952 727251.
