So, I feel that due to the production value of Richard III, I need to write an entire blog post about the show. Those who know me well know that lately, I have seen some pretty incredible shows (Jerusalem, La Bête, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to name a few) and when I leave the theatre, I have immediately said, “That is by far the best show I have ever seen”. Aware of this fact, I am hesitant to say that Richard III was the best show I have ever seen. But it was.
First, I’m pretty sure that the title of the show was actually Richard III: A Farce. The show was hilarious and the set had at least 8 doors at all times (the perfect equation for a farce). This was mainly because of Kevin Spacey and the way that he was able to make the most serious and tragic moment, comedic. Kevin Spacey would make the smallest change in facial expression, and it would create this wonderful moment. I also enjoyed how Spacey’s Richard was very creative and unique compared to traditional ones I’ve seen. The bottom line is that Kevin Spacey was incredible and was not just selling the show because of his name, but rather his talent for acting. The entire cast was extremely talented and I had actually seen a couple of them last summer in other productions.
Another reason why I loved the show was the direction, lighting design, scenic design, and projection design. I will have to say (even though I’ve heard that Sam Mendes is not the nicest guy on the block…), he is an amazingly talented director. He is able to bring so much out of a production while still keeping every aspect coherent. There is nothing I hate more than a show is that is trying to do too much and ends up looking like something mod-podged together at the last minute. The set was made up of nothing but doors and almost each door was used all through the play. There was a great moment in which Margaret comes out and starts marking a black “x” on specific doors that are then used by those murdered by Richard III. Projections were not used in every scene but when they were it completed the look for many scenes.
All in all, Richard III was the best production that I have seen thus far and for anyone in New York, run, don’t walk to see this last bridge production!