Subject: # 14227 Teatro Inglés Siglos XIX y XX Grupo A

Title of the play: R III

Author: William Shakespeare

Theater company: Arden Producciones

Play director: Chema Cardeña

Actors: Juan Carlos Garés as Richard, Amparo Vayá as Queen Elizabeth, Carol Linuesa as Buckingham, Vicente Pastor as Ratcliff, Esther López as Lady Anne, Ismael Carretero as Clarence / Richmond, Chema Cardeña as Hastings, Laura Useleti as Queen Margaret, Alfonso Tadeo as Stage assistant

Technique and artistic cast: Chema Cardeña (text adaptation), Del Busto & Monterder (Stage design), Ximo Rojo (lighting), Pascual Peris (dressing room), Gilles Martin / Ximo Rojo (sound), Antonio Martínez & María Poquet (voice in off), Inma Fuentes (portrayal), Maque Falgás (photography), Cabeza Líquida S.L. (video), Asaltinbankis (graphic design), Xımo Rojo / Pere Morant (technique coordination).

Date and place: 20 / 10 / 2005, in L’Altre Espai theater.

The main character of this play is Richard, who will later become, for little time, the king Richard III. All the other characters and events are described from the point of view of this character, but we will be able to decode the reality by paying attention to the others, which are not much less ill-formed inside as Richard is. Richard could be defined as the sum of many of the great deffects that humans have: envy, desire of power, heartlessness and more. Physically, he makes correspondance with his behaviour being lame, one-armed and with a hump. Another interesting feature of one of the characters is the fact that the role of Lord Buckingham was played by a woman, which remind us of the times when female roles were all played by men. With regard to Lady Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret, I would say they are a clear reflect of the three phases of life with their own characteristics: youth (energy, inexperience), maturity (need to be settled down) and old age (wisdom),

The places where the play takes part are not of much importance: the distinct parts of the palace and the jail tower in the Middle Ages. All this is barely shown by only the required objects to set the stage, which are always used by the characters. Perhaps, the only important object that sets the scenery is the bathtub, where the brother of Richard, George, dies.

An interesting characteristic of this play, in my opinion, is how they play with light

and what is in first place and what is in second place. In the very beginning, we are surrounded by darkness and little lights appear and disappear above the characters in the back part of the stage, while the roars of a tiger sound. It provoked on us a feeling of fear and fun, at the same time. We heard also some tiger roars during the play, as if it warned us the beast inside Richard was menacing them. I would like to point out the fact that the play stopped when Richard talked to the public to explain something, as if he was commenting the play.

Academic year 2005/2006
© a.r.e.a./Dr. Vicente Forés López
© Pablo Cristóbal Borillo
pacrisbo@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de València Press