Antic Disposition presents: Richard III
UK Cathedral Tour: 14th July – 28th July 2017
Temple Church, London: 22nd August – 9th September 2017
Award-winning theatre company Antic Disposition present a thrilling new production of Shakespeare’s Richard III. This darkly comic drama will be staged in six of England’s most historic cathedrals and London’s ancient Temple Church.
The tour will include two special performances in Leicester Cathedral – the first production of Richard III to be performed in the building since the king’s remains were discovered buried under a nearby car park and reinterred in the Cathedral in 2015. Antic Disposition’s Richard III also visits Ely, Peterborough, Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury Cathedrals.
The Wars of the Roses are over and King Edward IV rules England. But his brother, Richard, is in no mood to celebrate. With murder, deceit and dark humour as his weapons, Richard overcomes friends and foes alike to seize the crown. But as the body count rises, he soon learns that a throne founded on blood offers little security.
Richard III concludes at Temple Church in London for a run of fifteen performances. Located in the secluded and tranquil heart of London’s legal quarter between Fleet Street and the River Thames, Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th Century and is one of London’s most beautiful and historic buildings. Known for its unusual circular design, Temple Church recently gained fame as a key location in Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code.
Directors Ben Horslen and John Risebero comment: After two sell-out cathedral tours with our First World War Henry V, we are delighted to be returning to these spectacular venues with a modern updating of Richard III. The historical Richard had his reputation trashed by his Tudor successors, and Shakespeare’s play is packed with ‘alternative facts’ designed to portray the king as a villain. By bringing our production to Leicester Cathedral, the king’s final resting place, we hope to entertain the audience with Shakespeare’s version of his story, while encouraging them to look beyond it at the more nuanced assessment of Richard that is now emerging.
Award-winning theatre company Antic Disposition, founded by director Ben Horslen and director/designer John Risebero, is best known for presenting innovative and visually striking productions of classic plays and stories in spectacular historic buildings. Past productions include A Christmas Carol in Middle Temple Hall, The Comedy of Errors in Gray’s Inn Hall and Henry V, which recently toured twelve UK cathedrals marking the centenary of the First World War and Shakespeare400.