Two Roses for Richard III

Off to Stratford, and the Courtyard Theatre!

The RSC hosted a Brazilian company's work, Two Roses for Richard III, for a five day run.  It was different, and good... I think.  The play started with a nude fest (partial female nudity, full male), but did not have contexts of sexuality, and as I guessed correctly.  During the talkback we attended the following day, one audience member challenged the director on it.  She was an old British lady.  Not to stereotype, BUT...

The set reminded me of running water, and as I found out later, it was designed to show how there is no end, the "stage" just keeps going on and on.

As the director said at Unwrapped (the talkback), he is trying, with his co-director, to create a new language of theatre based in theatre and circus and acrobatics.  This company used the space, used all of it, height and width and breath.  Assassins dropped from the ceiling, people were raised up, and many interesting visuals ensued.  I can't really describe them to do them justice.

It worked in creating a new language, but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what that language was.  Since I'm not familiar with the circus, I think I missed some ideas and allusions.  Images merged and changed and struck me and then confused me...  I enjoyed it, both intellectually and emotionally.  The biggest problem I had was that the entire production had surtitles, which meant over half the time I was reading the lines on the screen.  This half of the time I was not having as much fun, I was just trying to keep up with the speakers, didn't see any of their expressions, and missed some of the acrobatics.  I should have just let the surtitles be, but I couldn't help myself.

I'd love to see more productions by this company.  It was a palate-cleanser, showing the borders of what one can do just using Shakespeare's text... and a little of their own.  This production looked at acting, had actors speak about their characters in jarringly metatheatrical moments, which peppered the production... drawing us in... shoving us out... drawing us in once again into the world of the play...

I'd recommend it, as long as you can find reasonably priced tickets.  Any seat is good.