RICHARD II

Donmar Warehouse

10 Jan 2012
Present: NM, RM, CC, RW

Director: Michael Grandage
Talent: Eddie Redmayne

CC wrote: I liked it. Other club members dry-eyed, but I found the deposition scene, in particular, moving. Lovely set, all gothic arches and gold-leaf; incense and plainsong in abundance.  John of Gaunt rather raced through his famous lines, didn't invest them with any real passion.  I for one couldn't shake the memory of Ron Cook having been the Fool in Jacobi Lear, so couldn't take him very seriously as Duke of York. Not helped by the fact that the character is quite silly. Hard to see pin-up appeal of Eddie Redmayne, who kept reminding me of the young Edward Fox, or possibly the young Edward Fox playing Edward VIII, as if he had grapes wedged in his upper lip. But you couldn't fault him for energy and intensity of feeling. Nice pace, never a dull moment.  Ten quid tickets a real bargain, you could see and hear all. My one cavil was that no-one except Daniel Flynn as Northumberland had the voice to carry the lovely lines, all of them a bit breathy and high-pitched.