Richard II Starring David Tennant To Be Released On DVD And Blu-Ray In April

The much acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production of William Shakespeare's Richard II starring David Tennant, Oliver Ford Davies and Nigel Lindsay will be released on Region 2 DVD (UK and Europe) and on Blu-ray on Monday 28th April.

The production, directed by Gregory Doran, was recorded at the November 13th 2013 performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon; it is this recording that has been broadcast live into cinemas worldwide.

David Tennant plays King Richard, the indulged and unpopular monarch, whose banning of his own cousin triggers a revolution that will cost him his crown and his life. The play opened in Stratford-upon-Avon last October before transfering to the Barbican Theatre in London in December where it played a sold out run until January. The production also starred Oliver Ford Davies as the Duke of York, Michael Pennington as John of Gaunt, Nigel Lindsay as Bolingbroke and Jane Lapotaire as the Duchess of Gloucester,

Extras on the DVD include an interview with David Tennant and a commentary by Director Gregory Doran and Live from Stratford-upon-Avon Producer John Wyver, cast gallery and subtitles in French and German.

The Blu-ray additionally includes a film exploring behind the scenes of the production, giving an insight into the process of putting the play onto the stage at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the logistics of filming the production for live broadcast. 

The production can be pre-ordered now:

Pre-order on DVD here
Pre-order on Blu-ray here

(Please note that at the time of writing the production is incorrectly listed as Richard III. Amazon have been informed.)

For more information about Richard II  starring David Tennant, including photos, reviews and video clips, please visit our website

RICHARD II: Encore Screening At The Barbican Today

As the remarkable Royal Shakespeare Company production of  Richard II reaches the end of its run at the Barbican Theatre in London tonight, the theatre are also holding a special encore screening of the cinema recording of the play at 12pm today.

The performance on 13th November at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon was recorded  for a live broadcast into UK cinemas and has since then been streamed into UK schools and to cinema audiences around the world. David Tennant stars in the title role; the cast also includes Nigel Lindsay, Oliver Ford Davies, Jane Lapotaire and Michael Pennington. The production has received almost universal critical acclaim since it opened in Stratford-upon-Avon in October last year.

The special encore screening at the Barbican will be followed by a ScreenTalk with Gregory Doran and other members of the production team. The event is sold out but check the Barbican box office for returns. Tickets are priced at £17 (£13.60 for Barbican members).

For a look back at all of the news surrounding Richard II since the play was announced last January please visit our website

Richard II DVD 'In Spring 2014' Say The RSC

The Royal Shakespeare Company have tweeted today that they plan to release a recording of Richard II on DVD within the next few weeks.

In response to an enquiry earlier they replied, "We are hoping to release a DVD of the Richard II live broadcast in Spring 2014. We'll post on Twitter when we know more"

The performance, starring David Tennant in the lead role was recorded live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on November 13th 2013 and was broadcast live to cinemas around the UK. Since then it has been streamed into 1000 UK schools and into cinemas worldwide. The production also stars Nigel Lindsay as Bolingbroke, Jane Lapotaire as the Duchess of Gloucester, Michael Pennington as John of Gaunt and Oliver Ford Davies as the Duke of York. Direction is by Gregory Doran and the recording is produced for the RSC by John Wyver. The company recently released a preview clip of the recording which can be viewed here:

As yet the RSC have not given any details of international release for the DVD.

Richard II isnow in the final week of its run at the Barbican Theatre in London. For more information about the production click here

Richard II Encore Screening And Director's Talk At The Barbican

As the run of Richard II draws to an end at the Barbican in London, the theatre have announced a special encore screening of the live recording of the play on closing day, followed by a Q&A session with director Gregory Doran and other members of the production team.

The critically acclaimed staging of Richard II, starring David Tennant in the title role, was recorded at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2013 and was the first ever Royal Shakespeare Company production to be streamed live into cinemas. Since then it has been broadcast into 1000 UK schools and into cinemas around the world.

The encore screening takes place on Saturday 25th January at 12pm in the Barbican Theatre Cinema 2. Tickets are on sale now from the Barbican box office costing £17 or £13.60 for Barbican members. 


Find more information about Richard II on our website

JAPAN & SOUTH AFRICA: Richard II Cinema Screenings Added

The Royal Shakespeare Company have added more international cinema screenings of Richard II with venues now in Japan and South Africa.

Richard II starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran was recorded live from the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on November 13th and has already been screened around the UK and in numerous countries including the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden. The sold out production is now in residence at the Barbican Theatre in London until 25th January 2014.

Japan
Screenings take place in multiple locations on the 10th January and the 6th and 9th February 2014

South Africa
Four scheduled screenings in various locations taking place between 25th - 30th January 2014


Visit the RSC Live From Stratford-upon-Avon page  for venue information, booking and to find screenings in other territories.

For more information about Richard II starring David Tennant visit our website 

PHOTOS: Richard II Barbican Press Night Party

The Royal Shakespeare Company have released some photos of David Tennant attending the aftershow party for Richard II' s Press Night in London last night.

View the full set of photos from the aftershow here

Richard II plays in residence at the Barbican until 25th January 2014

The run is sold out. A very limited number of £10 stalls day seats can be purchased from 10.30am on the day of the performance in person only from the Barbican Box Office. Limited to one ticket per person. 

Returns may also be available.

Find out more about Richard II starring David Tennant on our website

VIDEO: RSC Production Diary 13 - The Schools Broadcast Of Richard II

The final video production diary for the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Richard II covers the schools broadcast of the play into schools. The play starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran was broadcast into over 400 schools across the UK and seen by over 30,000 students. The broadcast culminated with a live Q&A session with David and Greg.

The clip is introduced by Jayne Welsh, the director of language for learning at St Albans Academy in Birmingham, who introduces the clip and recommends the experience to more schools in the future.

Find out if Richard II will be broadcast to a cinema near you on the RSC Live From Stratford-upon-Avon webpage

PHOTOS: Hi-Res Images Of David Tennant In Richard II

 

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran has now closed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon ahead of transferring to the Barbican Theatre in London from 9th December.

Meanwhile, enjoy a selection of hi-res production images:

Read more about Richard II here

Richard II: The Final Day In Stratford-Upon-Avon

Yesterday saw the final day of the Stratford-upon-Avon run of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II. The play starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran had been in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from the 10th October and the period had included the RSC's first ever live broadcast of one of their productions into cinemas.

The excitement for the closing two shows was quite palpable, but at the same time there was a little sadness that it was all drawing to a close so soon. It hasn't been a very long run and the transfer to London has meant a three week break while the complex stage design is relocated to the Barbican in London. The Warwickshire town was obviously much busier from much earlier on in the day and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre shop and foyer was rammed as friends met up with friends and people scrambled to buy from the range of Richard II merchandise. Crowds were building up outside too. An acquaintance who took a peek during the matinee interval informed us that the stage door barrier was already three deep. Fans who had already viewed the production assured first-timers how much they would love the show. Seasoned RSC and theatre supporters rubbed shoulders with people for whom this was their first foray into live Shakespeare. It has been a production that has drawn its audience widely.

This has been a critically acclaimed run, with many praising the simple yet effective set, the use of the theatre's depth, the live singers and musicians and, without a doubt, the consistently high quality performances by the whole company. The younger members of the cast have left us with a host of new names and faces to follow with the hope that they too will go on to great things. For David Tennant it has been a triumphant return to Stratford. The bold decision to wear extensions to realise Richard's ethereal, androgynous appearance may have got the gossip columns chattering but it certainly focused attention on something very special that was happening on that stage. The success of the live broadcast across the UK underscored that to the tune of the £1 million that was generated at the sold out cinema box offices. The production hit the right notes in so many ways and Gregory Doran has hit the ground running in his first full season as RSC Artistic Director.

The two final shows ran through smoothly and following both performances, David Tennant made an earnest appeal for donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee to support relief work following the horrific events in the Phillippines. Cast members manned buckets at the exit doors. The final curtain call was a mixture of elation and emotion. The audience sprang to their feet as the final spotlight faded, and the beaming, relieved, tired and happy faces of the whole cast, led by David Tennant said it all. A large bunch of apricot and lemon coloured roses landed with a thud at David's feet; he scooped them up and without hesitation presented them to Jane Lapotaire, who has made a triumphant return to the RSC following a lengthy serious illness. David thanked the audience and expressed how delighted they had all been with the successful run...and then they were gone, with just the final flourish by the trumpeteers to see the audience on their way.

A member of the theatre staff informed us that work would start the next day to strip out the Richard II set and to start to install the complex mechanics for Wendy And Peter Pan.

In three weeks time, the company will take to the stage of the Barbican in London. Until then we will simply have to be bereft of Richard, Bolingbroke, Old Gaunt, York, Northumberland, Harry Percy, Aumerle et al. In the meantime there are encore screenings of the live broadcast to fill the void.

Richard II transfers to the Barbican in London from 9th December till 25th January 2014. The run is currently sold out, but a limited number of tickets will be made available on the day of each performance directly from the Barbican Box Office. Otherwise phone 020 7638 8891 for returns.

Listen To Gregory Doran's Richard II Director's Talk

On October 16th, Gregory Doran, the director of the Royal Shakespeare Company's staging of Richard II gave a talk on the play. An audio recording of the talk has now been uploaded to the RSC's Soundcloud.

Greg Doran spoke about his working relationship with the production's star David Tennant, and what the actor brings to the production.
“I knew what a skilled technician he was," he said. "I’d seen him in this [the RSC] company playing both Touchstone in As You Like It and Romeo, and I thought if you can play Touchstone and get the laughs and play Romeo you’ve got a Hamlet in there somewhere. But partly…it’s impossible for David to be anything other than contemporary, and yet he has astonishing facility with the language. He can breathe it as if it’s not 400 years old, and I think he makes the plays shiver into life. He has great versatility. What I loved about his Hamlet was in a way the key line was for us when Hamlet says, “I have of late, and yet I know not why, lost all my mirth,” which must mean that at one point Hamlet had a sense of humour and wasn’t always congenitally the gloomy Dane. That’s a great skill to be able to find the variety within the line.”

Greg also confirms that the recorded version of the play will be released on DVD.

Listen to the full recording of the talk here:



David Tennant stars in the title role in the production finished its run last night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It transfers to the Barbican in London from 9th December till 25th January 2014. The run is currently sold out, but a limited number of tickets will be made available on the day of each performance directly from the Barbican Box Office. Otherwise phone 020 7638 8891 for returns.

PHOTOS: Richard II School Q&A

Earlier today the Royal Shakespeare Company became the first UK theatre to broadcast Shakespeare directly into schools, as Richard II with David Tennant in the title role was streamed free of charge into classrooms up and down the country.

During the 20 minute interval the students were invited to submit their questions about the production to David and Gregory who were based in a TV studio at Ravensbourne College with TV presenter Konnie Huq. The questions were displayed on a touchscreen and David and Gregory selected the questions they wanted to answer as part of the live Q&A.

Richard II closes in Stratford-upon-Avon tomorrow evening before transferring to the Barbican on 9th December 2013.

Photos with thanks to The RSC Press Office

VIDEO: David Tennant Talks About The Richard II Live Cinema Screening

“No pressure then…fine!”

In the new video production diary from the Royal Shakespeare Company, David Tennant talks about his excitement in the lead-up to his – and the RSC’s - first ever live theatre performance to audiences in cinemas across the world.

“It’s very exciting to think that this is going to be beamed around the world” he says. “It’s going to be like experiencing, I hope, the live event. We won’t be changing our acting, we’ll still be acting for the back row of the stalls…it’ll feel hopefully like you’re in the theatre live with us.”

The live broadcast to cinemas across the UK and around the world begins at 7.30pm GMT on Wednesday 13^th November, with subsequent screenings taking place in various countries until early 2014.

Find out more about the cinema broadcasts here

The recording will also be streamed live into 1000 secondary schools across the UK, with pupils having the chance to take part in a live Q&A with David and director Gregory Doran following the broadcast.

Richard II starring David Tennant, Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington and Oliver Ford Davies plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November. It then transfers to the Barbican in London from 9th December to the 25th January 2014.

Read more about the production here

Buy Now: RSC Richard II Theatre Programme Now Available For iPad

The Royal Shakespeare Company have made the Richard II programme available as an iPad app. Including lots of enhanced content and interactive features, the app is ready to buy now from the Apple store at just £1.99. 

Description

 The Royal Shakespeare Company’s exclusive theatre programme for iPad. Directed by Gregory Doran and starring David Tennant in the title role, this acclaimed production of Richard II was hailed as a ‘lucid, moving production packed with tremendous performances’ and ‘another palpable hit for the Tennant/Doran collaboration’. 

Richard II is the RSC’s first production to be filmed live for cinema broadcast and screened for free in classrooms around the UK.

This iPad Richard II programme offers: 

• Enhanced video content featuring behind-the-scenes footage of how a production moves from script to stage
• The official cinema trailer 
• Video interviews with Director Gregory Doran and David Tennant
• Rehearsal and production images of the show
• Articles by leading academics in their field, as well as a written note by historian and presenter Helen Castor
• Information and biographies of the cast and creative team of Richard II
• Information on the RSC and interactive links to upcoming productions and ticket booking

Click here for more information and to download

The app is also available internationally - other countries should check their local version of the Apple store.

Find out more about Richard II on our website

New RIchard II Blog From Illuminations: ‘Lords, Be Ready All’

The latest blog from John Wyver of Illuminations goes into detail about the ongoing preparations to broadcast the Royal Shakespeare Company staging of Richard II into cinemas across the UK and worldwide from Wednesday 13th November. John will be producing the film, the first ever broadcast by the RSC live from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Today, cameras, lighting and sound equipment has arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre ahead of the full camera rehearsal tomorrow afternoon.

Read John's blog here for a full breakdown of the painstaking preparations that will ensure that the complex live broadcast runs according to plan on the night of the 13th.

Richard II is directed by Gregory Doran and stars David Tennant and Nigel Lindsey. The production is in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until the 16th November. It then transfers to the Barbican in London from 9th December till 25th January.

Read more about Richard II on our website

Find out more about the live broadcast of the play here

Richard II Video Production Diary 10: Stephen Brimson Lewis On Designing The Play

The Royal Shakespeare Company have posted the tenth in their series of video diaries documenting the process behind bringing their production of Richard II to the stage.

This week, designer Stephen Brimson Lewis talks how he came to develop the striking, minimalist set.

"The overall concept for the production really grew out of a response to the space as much as anything else," he explains. "It's quite a unique space in that the actors are thrust right into the centre of the building and right amongst the audience." Along with Greg Doran's wish that the height of the building was also exploited, the designer incorporates projections, lighting and mechanics to create the world of Richard II  in which the company works.

Watch the video here:

Richard II starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran is in residence at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013. It transfers to the Barbican in London on 9th December where it plays until 25th January 2014.

 Both runs are currently sold out but returns may be available: call the RSC on 0844 800 1110 to check availability

The production will be filmed on November 13th and broadcast into cinemas across the UK and worldwide. More information can be found on the RSC Onscreen site. The recorded play will also be released on DVD.

Read more about the RSC's Richard II on our website

The Sunday Times Review Of Richard II: David Tennant As Medieval Pop Star

The Sunday Times have reviewed the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II starring David Tennant. Read what they have to say here: 

Richard II, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

First, the hair. Richard II may be a gem of a history play, a triumph of poetry, a very English tragedy, but David Tennant’s king stuns us, first and foremost, with a wonderful brown weave cascading down his back. And if it’s just hair, it’s apt: luxuriant, self-indulgent, slightly absurd (to the modern eye, anyway), it’s a nice encapsulation of Richard of Bordeaux’s reign. As he quaffs wine and scoffs sweeties, depleting his nation’s coffers because God says he can, he’s a medieval pop star, a divine brat manipulating the system. It’s Florenceand a particularly mean Machine.

Does Tennant ever blink? In the first half, it seems not: his Richard is a wide-eyed despot, softly maniacal but oh so full of charm. Most of his lines come as bitchy asides, a welcome relief from the doom and gloom of his depressed court: when he shrugs off a "So much for that", moving on from Gaunt's death two seconds earlier, the audience give a shocked cackle. A mixture of nonchalance and glib spite, he fairly has us eating out of the palm of his hand. So many of his lines elicited laughs, it almost seemed silly; surely we're not meant to chuckle so much? But that's the Tennant gift. And of course, when Richard starts his spiral downwards, his natural sympathy stands him in good stead. Even as he relinquishes power to Bolingbroke in the deposition scene (masterfully done), he navigates the comic and the tragic with ease. 

Nigel Lindsay is a perfect foil for him as Bolingbroke. Lindsay can offer so many great variations on the pub landlord - and that's a compliment. From weary seen-it-allness to doughty bulldog aggression, he seems to offer exactly what Richard lacks. He looks rather a good sort until he is swinging two bags of decapitated heads (Shakespeare never fails to emphasise what a grey mucky scramble the struggle for power is.) Even better casting is Sean Chapman as a wolfish Northumberland; when he stands at the castle gates, waiting for Richard to surrender, he positively licks his lips. Then there are the RSC stalwarts: when Michael Pennington and Oliver Ford Davies first proceed on together, as the uncles Gaunt and York respectively, you almost roll your eyes. But Pennington ends up giving a great, sweaty, incandescent turn with Gaunt's deathbed scene; while Ford Davies is a thoroughly lovable York,a much needed injection of warmth, as is Marty Cruickshank as his Duchess.

Greg Doran's production is solid and elegant; likewise Stephen Brimson Lewis's set isn't showy or ambitious, mostly a series of projections there to serve the actors. Yet Doran develops one special twist, a rapport between two characters it's best not to give away. His reading gives a kick to what is, ultimately, a sad and sorry play: a charting of the endemic rot in England, a gorgeous verse prelude to 100 years of bloody civil war. Tennant's Richard, for all his godly rights, is just the flavour of the month, good to be chucked when we've had enough. Hair today, gone tomorrow. 

Richard II is in residence at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013. It transfers to the Barbican in London on 9th December where it plays until 25th January 2014.

 Both runs are currently sold out but returns may be available: call the RSC on 0844 800 1110 to check availability

The production will be filmed on November 13th and broadcast into cinemas across the UK and worldwide. More information can be found on the RSC Onscreen site. The recorded play will also be released on DVD.

Read more about the RSC's Richard II on our website

With thanks to Zoe Brown

Source

RSC Whispers From The Wings Blog: 'Time To Pinch Myself'

Elliot Barnes-Worrell, who plays the groom in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Richard II, has been blogging about the experiences of his debut season with the company. 

Richard II starring David Tennant and directed by Gregory Doran opened last week to much critical acclaim. For Elliot the whole experience has felt somewhat unreal. He says:

In the last week I have packed up the young boy from south east London.

I moved him to a little flat in Stratford.

I 'teched' our show from 10am to 10pm.

I walked out on to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage in front of more than 1000 people, making my debut with the RSC.

I danced a hole in my socks at the press night party, and high fived Oliver Ford Davies backstage….

I would have pinched myself to make sure every awesome thing I had experienced this week was indeed real, but I assure you there has been little time for pinching.

Read Elliot's full blog post here

Richard II will play in residence in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013 when it will then transfer to The Barbican in London.

The run is completely sold out, but there may be returns. You can check for returns by phoning the RSC Ticket Hotline on 0844 800 1110.

The play will be streamed live into cinemas in the UK on the 13th November and subsequently into cinemas worldwide

Find out more about the live broadcast of Richard II here

Read more about Richard II on our website

New Illuminations Richard II Blog Post: 'Music Do I Hear?'

John Wyver of Illuminations has posted a new blog on the preparations for the live broadcast into cinemas of the new Royal Shakespeare Company production of Richard II. The play, directed by Gregory Doran and starring David Tennant, opened on Thursday to unanimous critical acclaim.

John and his team will be taking charge of producing the live broadcast in three weeks time and are making their final plans . The 2 hour 45 minute production will be broadcast live into UK cinemas on Wednesday 13th November and subsequently streamed into UK schools and into cinemas worldwide. The ambitious project is the first in a series of RSC Live From Stratford-upon-Avon screenings.

Read John Wyver's blog here

Find out more about the live broadcast of Richard II here

Richard II will play in residence in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013 when it will then transfer to The Barbican in London.

The run is completely sold out, but there may be returns. You can check for returns by phoning the RSC Ticket Hotline on 0844 800 1110.

Read more about Richard II on our website

Saturday Review Discuss Richard II Starring David Tennant

The new Royal Shakespeare Company staging of Richard II was one of the topics under discussion on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Review programme yesterday. The production, which stars David Tennant and is directed by Gregory Doran, opened last Thursday to great acclaim throughout the press.

Richard II was discussed by Tom Sutcliffe and his guests Sarfraz Manzoor, Natalie Haynes and Peter Kemp.You can listen to their conversation via BBC iPlayer. The review starts at around 3 minutes into the show.

Saturday Review: David Tennant as Richard II

Richard II stars David Tennant with Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington, Oliver Ford Davies, Jane Lapotaire and Emma Hamilton. The production is in residence at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013. It transfers to the Barbican in London on 9th December where it plays until 25th January 2014. Both runs are currently sold out but returns may be available: call the RSC on 0844 800 1110 to check availability

The production will be filmed on November 13th and broadcast into cinemas across the UK and worldwide. More information can be found on the RSC Onscreen site. The recorded play will also be released on DVD.

Read more about the RSC's Richard II on our website

Read The Latest Illuminations Blog On Richard II: ‘Praises, Of Whose Taste The Wise Are Fond’

John Wyver, writer, producer and co-founder of Illuminations, has published his latest blog on the new Royal Shakespeare Company production of Richard II. John will be producing the live broadcast of the play into cinemas across the UK and around the world, and has been documenting the journey of the production from early rehearsals, previews and opening night as he and his team prepare for the filmed event.  

In the new article, John lists his top ten things that he really likes about Greg Doran's new staging. He includes the minimalist design, the live miusic, the terrific ensemble cast and of course, the central performance of David Tennant as King Richard:

"Occasionally you see a production in which there is an actor who commands your eye at every moment – not in a selfish way, but simply through their charisma. I remember Vanessa Redgrave in The Lady from the Sea long ago in a Manchester Royal Exchange production, and I remember Kevin Spacey at the Almeida in The Iceman Cometh… and I will remember David Tennant in Stratford."

Read the full blog post here

John is also compiling a list of Richard II resources and reactions to the play which will be updated regularly

Read more here

Richard II stars David Tennant with Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington, Oliver Ford Davies, Jane Lapotaire and Emma Hamilton. The production is in residence at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 16th November 2013. It transfers to the Barbican in London on 9th December where it plays until 25th January 2014. Both runs are currently sold out but returns are available: call the RSC on 0844 800 1110 to check availability

The production will be filmed on November 13th and broadcast into cinemas across the UKand worldwide. More information can be found on the RSC Onscreen site. The recorded play will also be released on DVD.

Read more about the RSC's Richard II on our website