The play was staged in the newly renovated Tom Patterson Theatre, a smallish room seating about 700 people. Like the larger Festival Theatre, it features a thrust stage that brings the action well out into the audience. The theatre has been upgraded with state-of-the-art audio and lighting that was used very effectively during the play.
Colm Feore is not an actor who I'd have thought of to play Richard, but he was very believable in the role. He doesn't have the vocal power of say, Brian Bedford, who I saw perform Richard III in the 1970s, but he played Richard with a sly charm and physicality that seemed quite appropriate. (One of my friends commented that he must need a massage after every performance). The rest of the cast was up to Stratford's high standards, notably Michael Blake (Duke of Clarence), André Stills (Duke of Buckingham), Diana Leblanc (Duchess of York), Seana McKenna (Queen Margaret), and even including the actors who played the young, murdered princes.
The staging took full advantage of the theatre and its associated technology. The historical Richard was brought into the modern era by the framing, at the beginning and end of the play, of the discovery of his body a few years ago. It gave the play an added depth, especially at the end, and I was quite moved.
It's been a long time since I've been to a play and I'm glad I saw this one. Our digital screens can bring much to life, but there is a special magic to the best live theatrical productions that cinema or television will never have, and this production of Richard III had that magic.
Stratford is a lovely little town with many excellent restaurants and sights to see outside of the theatre. We stayed at the Foster's Inn downtown, for the second time, and will stay there again if we return to Stratford.
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