ED2012 3/5 Reviews ED2012 Theatre Reviews

Richard III (PPS Productions)

By | Published on Friday 31 August 2012

This production is a good, well-pitched and mercifully abridged version of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’, pared right down to 45 minutes. The performers come from an independent school in Westminster, and their performances are confident and competent. The production is timely, offering a highly satirical reading of the current government, with Cameron as the hunchback “determined to prove a villain”, whilst the punky costume design imposes an edgy, youthful lens. The version intelligently focusses on the anti-hero at the expense of the erratic narrative, but the many twists are still difficult to follow and the play flattens towards the middle. Nonetheless, this is an innovative production, a long way from fusty, which brings an old Tudor play to life.

theSpace@Venue45, 6-11 Aug, 4.10pm.
tw rating 3/5 | [Thom May]



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