Despite being manifestly unfit to govern, the young Richard of Gloucester (Arthur Hughes) overcomes each obstacle in his way to seize the crown, as King Richard III.
But as those around him turn against him, and as his plans begin to unravel, where else can he turn as the Lancastrian opposition returns to drag the country into battle once more and put an end to Richard’s tyrannical rule.
Richard III is a savagely comic analysis of the exercise of power, reminding us of the dangers of tyranny and our duty not to let it go unchecked, stunningly realised in this production by the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Gregory Doran.