Richard, My Richard: Philippa Gregory's 'nuanced portrait' of Richard III is heavy on the history
Women are centre stage but play has 'something of a structural problem'
![Jennifer Matter and Matt Concannon, surrounded by other cast members in Richard, My Richard at Shakespeare North Playhouse](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/F3BEoJhF3dbiphdjTQkkrb-415-80.jpg)
In her first play, historical novelist Philippa Gregory "seeks to offer a nuanced portrait of the last Plantagenet king", in contrast to Shakespeare's "depiction of a deformed outsider who settles on evil as the most effective way of achieving the crown".
Shakespeare's plays have, of course, made a "huge impact on contemporary views of history", said The Times, and until recently it was "impossible to detach the real-life figure of Richard III from the playwright's 'foul bunch-back'd toad'". Gregory's Richard, played by Kyle Rowe, is "mercifully" freed from the "distastefully demonic hunched back", said The Telegraph.
'Pivotal roles' for women
As you'd expect from "an author who has often tried to restore agency to the women of England's royal history", said The Telegraph, "Richard, My Richard" seeks to "bring centre stage important female players in Richard's story", including Anne Neville, his "ill-fated wife", and Elizabeth Woodville, queen of the previous king, Edward IV, Richard's brother.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The "renowned" writer "gives pivotal roles to female characters", said The Guardian, all scheming "as ruthlessly as the men", while the princes' mother (Jennifer Matter) and sister (Mary Savage) practise witchcraft against their enemies.
'Structural problem'
"Richard, My Richard" features the "interesting conceptual thread" of the king debating with a character called History, who carries a "vast white tome" filled with everything currently known about the monarch, said WhatsOnStage.
This setting the record straight "generates much of the play's humour", said The Times, while simultaneously "exposing the vagaries of historical mythmaking". Upon being told that Richard's older brother Edward "probably died from overeating salmon", History asks: "What am I meant to do with facts like that?"
Gregory is certainly devoted to historical fact and her "voluminous" Wars of the Roses research has been "brought very substantially to the table" in this drama, said The Telegraph. But the History character creates "something of a structural problem".
The play "fails to achieve the necessary sense of pace and rhythm" and "too often, the dialogue of the historical characters serves not to drive the narrative forward, but to offer historical context".
In her bid to tackle "so many figures and events" in a play that is just two and a quarter hours long, "you feel the author might have bitten off a little more than she can chew".
Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot (0151-433 7156) until 30 March, then Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds (01284 769505), 11-27 April.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Adrienne Wyper has been a freelance sub-editor and writer for The Week's website and magazine since 2015. As a travel and lifestyle journalist, she has also written and edited for other titles including BBC Countryfile, British Travel Journal, Coast, Country Living, Country Walking, Good Housekeeping, The Independent, The Lady and Woman’s Own.
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Paraguay's dangerous dalliance with cryptocurrency
Under The Radar Overheating Paraguayans are pushing back over power outages caused by illegal miners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Tattoo prediction
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
In 'Twisters,' there are no winds of (climate) change
Talking Point The weather-focused blockbuster kicks up a swirl of controversy over a conspicuous and deliberate omission
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Are dating apps dying?
Talking Point Younger people are ditching dating apps in favour of seeking real-world encounters
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
Why Katy Perry's on trial at the 'pop culture Hague'
Talking Point Her new single, an 'attempt' at a 'feminist anthem', has been ferociously slated for retreading dated ground
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Can Gladiator II outdo its epic original?
Talking Point Trailer for the long-awaited sequel shows Paul Mescal fighting a rhino, and taps into 'nostalgia' for 'sword and sandals drama'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
How did Glastonbury 2024 measure up?
Talking Point Sound problems hampered 'sublime' performances during festival in which pop came out on top
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: 'wonderfully diverse' art
Talking Point This annual show sticks to 'a familiar template' in the hopes of enticing both new and returning visitors
By The Week UK Published
-
The House of Beckham: why Tom Bower's book won't topple the Golden Balls empire
Talking Point Unauthorised biography of David and Victoria Beckham is met with tepid response
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Has Bridgerton lost the plot?
Talking Point Return of the hit Regency series has divided both fans and critics
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published