"Richard II" at Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Completing our day of "all Shakespeare, all the time," we followed the afternoon's performance of "Timon of Athens" with a history lesson, "Richard II." At three hours, it's a long play, but it definitely held my attention and interest.

The Play

Not much needs to be said about the play per se. It basically covers the reign of King Richard II, starting with the funeral of his father and ending when he steps aside and allows Henry Bullingbrook to ascend as Kind Henry IV.

This was my first time seeing "Richard II," but having seen the Henry plays relatively recently (both parts of Henry IV, plus Henry V), I have more than a passing understanding of the machinations involved. "Richard II" served to really put it all in context for me, however, when I realized that all these characters were already in place, and their roles largely developed, before Prince Hal enters the scene.

So that part was helpful to me. "Richard II" is really an important introduction/prequel to the saga of Henry. Extra fun for me, having seen the Henry plays at Ashland not long ago, was seeing some of the same actors, but this time in different roles. Most notably, Kevin Kenerly plays Northumberland in "Richard II," where not that long ago he played his son, Henry "Hotspur" Percy, in "Henry IV." Since the company is doing both parts of "Henry IV" next season, I look forward to seeing what kind of continuity they have, or if they choose to go in whole different ways. I see already that they two Henry plays will have different directors, so there is bound to be some difference.

Also, I like the way the play emphasizes the family relationships. You get a good feel for just how closely related all these characters really are, and how that affects their relationships.

Commentary

I found the play quite riveting. The director's note in the program indicates that this is one of only two plays Shakespeare wrote entirely in verse, and truly the rhythm and flow of the language is impressive. Even though I didn't know the play, I did recognize some very famous passages, including the deathbed speech by John of Gaunt.

I really liked the casting choices for both Richard and Henry Bullingbrook. Christopher Liam Moore was a fine choice as Richard, as his slight build and higher-pitched voice already seem to put him at a disadvantage as he tries to rule his fractious family. Jeffrey King is much more physically imposing and has a bigger, booming voice, making him a natural foil to the weak Richard. But he often plays it down, obviously holding back at times, and particularly in later scenes where he is serving as king, his smiling, ironic detachment is a treat to watch.

All in all, I found the play pretty riveting. I made a point of not reading it in advance, preferring to let it unfold on stage, and I was glad I did. It was a good, if long, history lesson, and a reintroduction to some familiar characters I know I'll be spending more time with next year.