Richard II

From the Royal Shakespeare Company a modern, definitive edition of Shakespeare' s tragic history of a ruler losing his grip on power. With an expert introduction by Sir Jonathan Bate, this unique edition presents a historical overview of Richard II in performance, takes a detailed look at specific productions, and recommends film versions. Included in this edition are interviews with two leading directors and an acclaimed actress/director Michael Boyd, Claus Peymann and Fiona Shaw providing an illuminating insight into the extraordinary variety of interpretations that are possible. This edition also includes an essay on Shakespeare s career and Elizabethan theatre, and enables the reader to understand the play as it was originally intended as living theatre to be enjoyed and performed.

Ideal for students, theatre-goers, actors and general readers, the RSC Shakespeare editions offer a fresh, accessible and contemporary approach to reading and rediscovering Shakespeare s works for the twenty-first century.

Introduction. - About the Text . - Key Facts . - The Life and Death of King Richard the Second. - Textual Notes . - Oaths from the Quarto. - Scene-by-scene Analysis . - Richard II in Performance: The RSC and Beyond . - Four Centuries of Richard II: An Overview . - At the RSC . - The Director' s Cut: Interviews with Michael Boyd and Claus Peymann . - Playing Richard: An Interview with Fiona Shaw. - Shakespeare' s Career in the Theatre . - Shakespeare' s Works: a Chronology . - Kings and Queens of England: From the History Plays to Shakespeare' s Lifetime . - The History Behind the Histories: A Chronology. - Further Reading and Viewing . - References . - Acknowledgements and Picture Credits