We find out what is being said about this production of Shakespeare’s play starring Michelle Terry.
Broadway World: *** “The rest of Elle While’s production suffers from being in a constant orbit of Richard. Scenes without him lack propulsion. Crucially the female suffering of Queen Elizabth, Anne and the Duchess of York that ought to unravel in the limelight in a production where gender is front and centre, feels underdeveloped.”
West End Best Friend: **** “The delightfully rustic surroundings of the Globe make any evening out one to remember. Even in driving rain, the Southbank has never looked finer. Michelle Terry leads an excellent company of actors who deliver every line with real aplomb. A five piece band perch above the action to create a quirky soundtrack that feels like an improvised jazz session, but only adds to the sense of occasion and unique experience offered by the Globe. There are only so many permutations in the way Richard III (or any Shakespeare play) can be presented but this production nails it with poise and sureness of touch. Part museum, part theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe is the place to be this Summer.”
The Guardian: ***** “Ultimately, it is a fast-paced, energised and entertaining production, the humour sometimes overplayed and hammy, but nevertheless a hugely compelling picture of corrupted male power. A lesson for all of us, perhaps, not to judge a production before its opening night.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “But, for the most part, Richard III offers up stinging comedy at the hands of a talented and diverse cast, guaranteeing a laugh even during its darkest moments.”
Evening Standard: *** “This is a thoughtful provocation to the all-male Globe productions of the distant and recent past, and to the implication that Richard’s psychopathy is expressed in his body. Terry, sometimes sporting a sculpted, prosthetic masculine torso, is horrifyingly compelling in the lead.”
Time Out: *** “So, has The Globe proved its Richard III belongs in the history books, for the right reasons? Nearly. There is solid thought behind this production that pushes The Bard’s classic into the modern day. But, this is Terry’s show and hers only. Maybe, with all the pre-existing drama, that leaves a sour taste.”
WhatsOnStage: ** “Terry’s innate and well-documented charisma allows her to remain a boisterous, chaotic presence throughout the show. Helen Schlesinger, who always delivers a strong turn at the Globe, is a marvellous conniving Buckingham, a manicured Machiavellian crushed beneath the wheel of fortune. Kibong Tanji’s keenly poised Stanley highlights the perpetual angst faced by those trying to survive (or thrive) under the tyrannical Gloucester, while the company pull off the occasional solid laugh – the Duke of Clarence’s drowning in the vat of apples by some angst-ridden murderers being an unexpected high point.”
London Unattached: ” Overall the production does an excellent job of maintaining tension and forward dramatic drive through a long and complex plot. The synopsis struck fear into my heart with the number of characters and the complexity of their relationships, but while names, titles and precise degrees of cousinship might get lost the political dynamics felt always real and vivid. It was only a shame that at times some of the dialogue was swallowed in a perhaps too dynamic delivery. My guest at the performance was an eleven-year-old, and it is a testament to the engagingness of the staging that he remained riveted to the end and keen to discuss what it all meant, despite, as he puts it, it all being in ‘Shakespearianish’.”
The Arts Desk: **** “There’s a fierce, dark energy to the Globe’s new Richard III that I don’t recall at that venue for a fair while. The drilled cast dances seemed more frenzied, and there are more of them, and for once let’s start with a shout-out for James Maloney’s musical score. It’s a thing of some wonder, ranging from jazz palpitations and wiry strings to the throbbing beats of intrigue that riff on the rapid action of the “troublous world” unfolding beneath the musicians’ balcony.”
The Stage: *** “Michelle Terry heads a female-led ensemble in this intriguingly skewed character study of a vulgar tyrant clawing his way towards power.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “Instead, director While wants to keep things light, with only the tuba of the brass band offering any tension. For the rest of the time, this Richard III feels like a game where boys play at king. Of course, that’s the point, but as a result, the drama has been sucked out of Shakespeare’s a-murder-a-minute tale. And the biggest problem remains; when will we have a disabled actor playing Richard III at the Globe?”
The Independent: **** “When the Shakespeare’s Globe boss cast herself as the scheming monarch, she was met with a fierce backlash for not giving the role to a disabled actor. But this brash, amped up production, openly mocking misogynist leaders, feels original and necessary.”
The Telegraph: **** “The Globe’s artistic director, who faced a storm of protest for taking on the role, is terrific in this vibrant feminist reinterpretation.”
Richard III continues to play at the Shakespeare’s Globe until the 3rd August 2024.