The new play will have its world premiere at Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot from the 8th to the 30th March 2024, before travelling to Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds from the 12th to the 27th April 2024.
It has been confirmed that historical author Philippa Gregory will make her playwriting debut in 2024 with Richard, My Richard a new stage play inspired by Shakespeare’s Richard III.
The world premiere of this production is set to be directed by Katie Posner and will launch at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot from the 8 – 30 March, with a national press night on 12 March, and then play from 12 – 27 April at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.
With an explosion of tarmac Leicester City Car park erupts and Richard III crashes from his lost tomb to meet the character who has ruined his reputation: History – the record keeper who doesn’t always have his mind on the task.
Richard believes he has risen from the grave to heaven with an unstained conscience, and the awkward task falls to History (sorry History)- to tell the Undead King that all is not as he imagines.
As Richard challenges, History admits he has his own doubts. He is often revered as the bearer of truth. Yet, his perspective is skewed. History overlooks people and stories.
Philippa Gregory has written many acclaimed novels, , including The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen. Now a recognised authority on women’s history, Philippa graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. In 2020 she was made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to literature and charity. Her latest book Normal Women – 900 Years of Making History is due to be published 26 October 2023 with HarperCollins, and is a history of women in England over nine centuries, from the Norman invasion in 1066 to women’s ordination into the Church of England in 1994.
Talking about the news she said: “I was inspired to write this play after having the privilege to attend the internment of Richard lll at Leicester. I wanted to write a play about the real Richard and the people – especially the influential women- around him. Then the most important character walked into the play – History – who in an absent-minded moment has given us such a dark picture of the king whose motto was loyalty and whose passion was chivalry.”
Further creative team and casting for the production have yet to be announced.