Richard the Third
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Richard the Third

If you’re a lover of Game of Thrones, Walking Dead or House of Cards then this adaptation of Richard the Third is for you. Giving a twist on the Shakespearean classic director Christine Davey talked to Forte about the rich script, modern soundtrack and planning murders. If there’s anything you need to expect it’s that this show will blow them all out of the water.
Hi Christine, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to Forte, where are you and what are you up to at the moment?
I’m at home right now – I have a farm with llamas (yes really, I’m a llama farmer), and I am busy doing social media publicity for Richard The Third.
Production started on the play some months ago, how has the process been going and are you ready for the first performance on March 20?
The rehearsal process is going really well. The show is fast and furious and we’ve been thinking up interesting ways to commit murder. For the purposes of theatre, of course! Yes, opening night is on March 20, and it’s all hands on deck as everyone furiously memorises lines, fits costumes, sources props – it’s all go! This is a fabulous cast of local actors – some experienced, some not – but everyone has the common goal of presenting exciting, entertaining theatre. This period in the rehearsal process is always exciting, tinged with a lot of nervous energy.
Richard The Third, is one of Shakespeare’s better known plays, for those who are a little less familiar, could you tell us a little bit about it?
This is one of Shakespeare’s most remarkable plays. On one level it’s a story about royal brothers fighting over the throne of England. On other levels it’s about power plays, lust, greed, ambition, love, death – and the whole damn thing. Think Game of Thrones meets House of Card meets Walking Dead and you get the idea. Richard himself is the anti-hero – we know he’s horrible, we know he’s evil, we know he’s a vicious liar, cheat and murderer, but…..there’s something about him that we can’t help but admire. He might be awful, but at least he’s honest! There is so much rich, muscular dialogue in the play. Richard, for example is called a bunch-backed toad, a rooting hog, a bottle-backed spider! If anyone hasn’t seen Shakespeare before, this is a great play with which to start. It is so colourful and fast-paced, and funny and shocking – sometimes all at once.
Your version however, has a modern twist, what does this mean exactly?
We’ve cut the script back to its essentials, made it more accessible to a twenty-first century audience. We’ve added a set which will hopefully evoke discussion. It centres around a destroyed world – a rubbish tip – a land where everything, including life, is easily discarded. This isn’t traditional Shakespeare at all, so forget about tights and pointy shoes. This is Shakespeare with power drills and pitch forks. We’ve got fantastic music to accompany the action – Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Elbow, Hozier, Ethel Merman, Lorde – it’s a hoot and a half.
Skin Of Our Teeth is one of the regions finest production troupes, how was the auditioning process for this particular show?
I love the audition process- it’s always fabulous to see the talent on display, and we have so much of it in the region. At SOOT we are all about creating a team, not just a bunch of actors, so it’s all hands on deck – all the actors help in finding costumes, bits of the set, props etc, so the audition process is as much about gauging levels of dedication as it is about talent. We are creating a theatre company, so collaboration is not only important, it’s essential.
Could you tell us about some of the actors?
Our cast is made up of 15 extraordinary actors – from ages 14 through to…well let’s just say, late 60s. They come from all walks of life. One of our actors is a scientific researcher at CSIRO. Another works in a book shop. We’ve got kinder teachers, special ed teachers, baristas, retirees, students, all sorts. As to the talent on offer – well, it is truly remarkable. These people can act, sing, play the piano accordian…….it’s all happening. As to the guy playing Richard himself – well that’s Steven Georgiadis – a very experienced actor and director in the region. He’s doing such a fine job in this big, big role and that’s with poles, and gaffer tape stuck to his legs (you’ll have to see the show to find out what that’s all about).
Shakespeare theatre is often quite lengthy, how long does each performance run and does that include an interval?
Each show runs for approximately 2.5 hours including interval. We’ve got wine and coffee available as well, for the perfect nights entertainment.
Who would you recommend coming to see the show?
Hopefully the show will appeal to heaps of people – young, old, new to theatre, experienced theatre-goers, students of Shakespeare, or anyone who is a teensy bit tired of the same old thing. This is definitely Shakespeare, but not as you know it. If you are unsure about seeing a Shakespearean play in the flesh, trust me, this is going to be a run ride.
When&Where: Shenton Theatre, Geelong – March 20, 21 & 25-28