Tuesday 28 January 2014

RSC - Richard II with David Tennant

A very late review of the RSC's production of Richard II at the Barbican with David Tennant in the title role.  It's a while since I have seen the RSC (the last thing was a terrible Anthony and Cleopatra) so I was hoping for better things!

Tennant is an interesting choice for the RSC <<http://www.rsc.org.uk>> to make - would it be too cynical of me to suggest it has something to do with bums on seats?  Part of me feels that the sold-out auditorium had more than its fair share of Doctor Who fans....nevertheless, it would be churlish to stop people seeing live theatre, whatever their reasons!

I find Tennant eminently watchable on TV, I have yet to watch his Hamlet on DVD (but friends have told me it is well worth watching!) so I was keen to see him tread the boards.......I enjoyed his performance, but felt in parts it dropped in intensity and character.  Perhaps it was Gregory Doran's direction, perhaps it was how the play was being treated.  When he was good, he was very good.  And it must be said, the costuming suited him a treat!

Despite all the reviews I read before I went, I wasn't unduly distracted by his hair!

The rest of the cast performed strongly, as you would expect from an RSC ensemble.  The staging was great - simple and very effective.  And great lighting too.