Richard II

From the Royal Shakespeare Company – a modern, definitive edition of Shakespeare's tragic history of a ruler losing his grip on power. From the Royal Shakespeare Company – a fresh new edition of Shakespeare's tragic history of a ruler losing his grip on power THIS EDITION INCLUDES: • An illuminating introduction to Richard II by award-winning scholar Jonathan Bate• The play - with clear and authoritative explanatory notes on each page • A helpful scene-by-scene analysis and key facts about the play • An introduction to Shakespeare's career and the Elizabethan theatre • A rich exploration of approaches to staging the play featuring photographs of key productions The most enjoyable way to understand a Shakespeare play is to see it or participate in it. This unique edition presents a historical overview of Richard II in performance, recommends film versions, takes a detailed look at specific productions and includes interviews with two leading directors and an acclaimed actress/director – Michael Boyd, Claus Peymann and Fiona Shaw – so that we may get a sense of the extraordinary variety of interpretations that are possible, a variety that gives Shakespeare his unique capacity to be reinvented and made 'our contemporary' four centuries after his death. Ideal for students, theatre-goers, actors and general readers, the RSC Shakespeare plays offer an accessible and contemporary approach to reading and rediscovering Shakespeare's works for the twenty-first century. 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.