BBC Radio
Production
Information
BBC Radio, 14th
July 1997
“ ‘Role Play’ returns with
a new series, starting with performers Michael Pennington and Fiona Shaw
explaining what it is like to tackle on e of ‘Shakespeare’s most complex
characters: Richard II.
Richard is a weak and
tyrannical king and his downfall is, in many ways, deserved. But his awareness
of what the fall means and his troubled view of kingship make his story a
tragic one. Which, coupled with some exquisite speeches, make him a deeply
sympathetic figure. ‘He’s an astonishing character,’ says Shaw, ‘because
despite his bad behaviour there’s this poetic charm that allows is to follow
him and not loathe him.’
Shaw starred in the
much-praised National Theatre production that broke new ground, having the king
played by a woman. For Pennington in a regency-set production, the role was a
long-held dream: ‘I saw it for the first time when I was 12 and I was
completely stage-struck … I just longed to be able to play it on a public
stage.’ “
(Evening Standard, 14th
July 1997)