Richard II - Almeida

I struggled with this. I didn't understand who anyone was or what happening until halfway through. SRB and Leo Bill were engaging because they could focus on their characters but I don't think either was well cast but I was not getting any contemporary references/inspiration.

There was a real lack of characterisation. It reminded me of the recent Watership Down. I agree that there was some overacting from one of the actresses but she was the only one who tried to give her various characters personality and different voices (though I noticed SRB seemed to aim the bucket of water right at her though)

Also I found the use of fluids and dirt really unnecessary. You have this non existent set because everyone is imprisoned yet insist on soil, water and fake blood. Either you are embrace the symbollocks or you don't. It just heightened my anxiety about slipping and going flying into the audienxe.

To conclude I am not paying to see Shakespeare in 2019. I just don't care anymore.

Oh please, they're hardly the first theatre to do it and they won't be the last, and at least Shakespeare isn't their sole bread and butter.

To be fair my experience of Shakespeare in 2018 was pretty grim. I have seen some excellent productions/adaptations (like the Mexican Macbeth in 2017) but I am getting tired of spending my money/time/both and coming out of it feeling foolish because a director has decided to make a production vague and unclear.
I don't blame William at all but there is an inherent, middle class smugness to Shakespeare which just alienates me. Maybe I am stupid and foolish but you only have to humour me for a few hours that I am not.

For me Shakespeare and SRB is a match made in heaven so of course I booked immediately and for friends too! Then I suggested other friends book and join us. Now I’m gonna have to spend the evening apologising! It is ok for me. I’ve seen more RIIs than you've had hot dinners but for people who haven’t then I do think the directors need to think a bit more. Shakespeare is so good and has lasted so long for a reason. His plays continue to be 'relevant' without too much mucking about. But I haven’t seen this one yet so I may eat my proverbial hat.

It's very interesting reading all the above. In a way it underlines for me why it's so good that Shakespeare/William/Bill/Shakes/Shakey etc is always being performed. I like that it's so adaptable, you can get such wildly differing productions and opinions of them. Because I accept that any theatre trip runs the risk of ending up seeing a load of b*ll*cks, it's also understood it's exactly the same for any Shakespeare production. When I think of all my Shakespeare shows to date, I feel it adds a kind of value that I've seen so many good, bad and indifferent versions of the same plays. It provides a nice frame of reference. 

I love that among all the various above opinions about this RII production, one is that it reminds them of the recent Watership Down and has made them not want to see any Shakespeare for a year. You see, for me, that's what theatre is all about! (I realise how facetious that sounds but I'm being serious).

I'm all for productions going full-on minimalist (or should that be full-off?) and seeing what happens. Wasn't Rylance's final Globe production as director a Tempest with only him and two other cast and a length of rope? I love that kind of stuff. Indeed, I challenge any director to try for one or maybe even no cast, no set, no props, but still make it into theatre. Maybe even no stage, no space, nothing. Or maybe it's already been done but no-one realised it was there?

Personally I don't think any RII can top the RSC one I saw in 2008 with a jaw-dropping lead performance by Jonathan Slinger that remains among the top 3 I've ever seen. But I love the play, it's probably my favourite Shakespeare, so will carry on seeing it in the happy knowledge it won't ever be as good as that one, which this Almeida one obviously wasn't by a long way. But it was interesting to see their take on it.

Yes that Donmar one was good. I loved the Globe one, around 2002/2003 in Middle Temple Hall, with MR as Richard, then that one got bumped by the RSC one I mentioned.

Well, there is a production of Twelfth Night at Southwark theatre that might tempt you. I won’t pay for your tic but I will buy you a drink if you turn up on  2nd Feb and find me. Small venue so you should be able to spot me! 

Similarly I wasn't swept away but had fun with Si as always. The post show cast discussion was a tedious thing to sit through as audience members tried to outdo each other with their analysis of the production instead of asking an actual question, wish I'd left after the bows.

Having watched today’s matinee, unfortunately despite SRB’s performance (a chance to see him perform Shakespeare which was the main reason for booking) this production really did leave me a bit underwhelmed. Certainly this production really does require you to stay focused the entire time as it’s done at breakneck speed and at times I found myself a bit lost as to which characters the different cast members were playing as there wasn’t any differentiation in the actors portrayal of the characters. This seems to have been an issue for other patrons who I was talking to post show who found the production as a whole really confusing and some who actually nodded off during the show.

The use of the buckets with the different substances being chucked around to symbolise things did become less interesting as time progressed. While I applaud the production for creating something different in presenting the text, this really didn’t do anything for me. As others have noted and which I agree with, it was definitely something you would see from Celeb Jungle.

The glove fight scene mid show, whether it is was intended to be as funny as it was presented is something I would like to know. It felt more like a scene from a comedy rather than a serious play. For me it just felt out of place in the context of the entire piece.

Having deliberately stayed off the reviews of the piece so I went in with no preconceptions, I had a read of them post show and the similarities mentioned in some of the pieces with the current political climate I find hard to marry up. Whether this is due to the truncated text I don’t know. Maybe seeing the full text performed in another setting would help resolve this. Certainly, I wouldn’t give this production 4* stars as some reviews have done. At best maybe 3* on a good day.

As an aside, I did a tour of the theatre this morning and we managed to get onto the cube set. It really is a bit claustrophobic in there but certainly gave you an interesting perspective from what the cast see during the play.

My heart sinks further...

My reaction to something like the 'through line' idea is that if it needed to be explained by the cast to the audience then the idea was fundamentally flawed from the very outset.

If audiences need it to be explained to them afterwards then you have failed to communicate what you were aiming at as a director. You can't blame the cast for things like this.

After taking a few minutes to acclimatise, I really enjoyed this. Peak SRB definitely, he broke me with two words: "need friends".
It really needs a familiarity with the play to get the most out of this production, which is not really a commendation. Very marmite reaction, people next to me loved it but someone behind apologising to companions for it being so disappointing.
Odd articles in the programme.
Surely the bit with all the gloves was meant to comic and to show the difficulty Bolingbroke had in exerting control or making a decision even though he now had power.
Finally, I worry how this is going to come over on the big screen next week, SRB especially. We are all used to, and love, his campness and mannerisms but it is going to look very overdone in close up. There should be an instruction to just listen to the way he speaks the text - unparalleled.