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

UK Encore Screenings For Richard II Starring David Tennant

Due to Popular demand, Picturehouse Cinemas around the UK will be holding encore screenings of the Royal Shakespeare Company's celebrated screening of Richard II. The production was directed by Gregory Doran and starred David Tennant in the title role with Niel Lindsay, Michael Pennington, Oliver Ford Davies and Jane Lapotaire. The November 13th performance which was filmed and streamed into cinemas worldwide was the first ever such live broadcast by the RSC; Picturehouse were one of the partner organisations that enabled the event.

The Richard II Encore shows will take place across the Picturehouse chain from April 13th. Booking for Picturehouse members is open now and public booking begins on Monday 3rd March

Visit the Picturehouse website for venues, dates and ticket prices

RSC productions, including Richard II, are being streamed to cinemas worldwide. 
Visit the RSC Onscreen site for more details

The recording of Richard II is die to be released on DVD later this spring

For more information about the production please visit our website

The What's On Stage Awards Announced Tonight - Richard II Nominated For Regional Production Awards

The What's On Stage Theatre Goers Choice Awards are announced at a ceremony at The Prince Of Wales Theatre in London tonight. The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II, which starred David Tennant in the title role, has been shortlisted for the award for Best Regional Production for it's run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in October and November 2013.

The full list of nominees for the Best Regional Production are as follows:

Macbeth - at the Manchester International Festival
My Fair Lady - at Sheffield Crucible
Richard II - RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Prodigals - at the Belgrade, Coventry
To Sir, With Love - at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton and on tour

Richard II is due to be released on DVD in Spring 2014 

To find out more about David Tennant in Richard II please visit our website here.

Last Chance To Vote For David Tennant & Richard II In The Whatsonstage Awards

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II, which stars David Tennant in the title role, has been shortlisted for the Best Regional Production award in this year's WhatsOnStage Awards for it's run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in October and November 2013.

Voting closes TODAY so if you haven't already now is the time to cast your vote!!

 The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on 23rd February 2014.

The full list of nominees for the Best Regional Production are as follows:

Macbeth - at the Manchester International Festival
My Fair Lady - at Sheffield Crucible
Richard II - RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Prodigals - at the Belgrade, Coventry
To Sir, With Love - at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton and on tour

Click here to vote now!

To find out more about David Tennant's performance in Richard II please visit our website here.

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 Closes In London Tonight

David Tennant's sold out and critically acclaimed run as Richard II at the Barbican in London comes to an end tonight as David and the rest of the ensemble play the final show in the run.

The play first opened in Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre back in October 2013 before making it's transfer to London in December that year.

The Live From Stratford-upon-Avon recording of Richard II is due to be released on DVD in February (date to be confirmed).

Watch a clip of David Tennant as Richard II below:

To find out more about the play and to take a look back at all the news from this magnificent run then please visit our website here.

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

VIDEO: David Tennant & Richard II Cast Contribute To Room 9 Advent Calendar Fundraiser

Throughout December, Rob Houchen and Anton Zetterholm of the London West End production of Les Miserables have been running the Room 9 charity Christmas video advent calendar featuring festive music to raise money for Water Aid.

For today's extra special treat they have managed to secure the services of their acting colleagues in other theatres in London's West End and around the world, including David Tennant and the cast of Richard II, who contribute to a star-studded version of Do They Know It's Christmas.

Water Aid

768 million people in the world don't have access to safe water. This is roughly one in ten of the world's population. 2.5 billion people don't have access to adequate sanitation, one in three of the world's population. Around 700,000 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. That's almost 2,000 children a day.

WaterAid is an international charity that transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation.

Rob and Anton say:

Help us and WaterAid make a difference. We are posting one song a day for 24 days starting on the 1st of December. If you like our project show your support and give us a Christmas gift by donating whatever you can. 

If you've enjoyed this, or any of the other Room 9 Advent calendar videos please donate to Water Aid here

Contributors:
Les Miserables - London
Les Miserables - USA
Shrek - Sweden
Mojo – London

Richard Fleeshman
Phantom of the Opera - London
The Commitments - London
Richard II - Royal Shakespeare Company
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Stockholm
Mamma Mia - Stuttgart
Rocky - Hamburg
WICKED - London
Dame Edna Everage
West Side Story - Malmö
The AfterShow - London
Sister Act - Germany
Ghost - UK

Visit the Room 9 Advent Calendar here

Find out more about Water Aid here

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 

Rehearsed Reading Of Thomas Of Woodstock At The Barbican Today

The Royal Shakespeare Company will today perform a one-off performance of Thomas Of Woodstock at London's Barbican Theatre. 

The Elizabethan  play, by an unknown author, covers the events leading up to the murder of Richard II's Uncle which is the focus of the opening scene in Shakespeare's play. It also includes many of the same characters as Shakespeare's Richard II, including the King and his 'favourites' Bushy, Bagot and Green amongst others. The rehearsed reading will be directed by Owen Horsley who is the Assistant Director onRichard II, and who will also give an introduction to the play at the start of the performance

The performance will be cast with actors from within Richard II; specific cast details have not been revealed.

RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran said, “Thomas of Woodstock is sometimes referred to as Richard II: Part One. It is an anonymous Elizabethan drama which tells the backstory to Shakespeare's play, staging the events leading up to the murder of Richard's Uncle the Duke of Gloucester, brother to John of Gaunt and to the Duke of York. The King is deeply implicated in his death – and this is the unspoken crisis with which Shakespeare opens his play. It's a truly intriguing play”.

The two hour performance will be followed by a Q&A, and takes place on the afternoon of Friday 20th December at 2pm with tickets costing £5.00. 

A limited number of tickets are still available.
Contact the Barbican Box Office on 020 7638 8891 or online at www.barbican.org.uk

Richard II At The Barbican: Reviews Round Up

Following last night's press night for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II starring David Tennant, reviews have appeared in a number of publications today. Here's around up of a few of them: 

Londonist.com: King Of Grief

“It is, quite simply, brilliant…”say Londonist."Tennant is a natural focal point and, as the title character, rightly so. He is neither a straightforward hero nor outright villain, and Tennant toes that line with great precision." They also highlight Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington and Oliver Ford Davies for praise.

Read the full review here

The Mirror

The Mirror chose to compare Richard II  with Matt Smith's American Psycho: The Musical which also opened last night. Of David's performance they say:

“…Tennant's performance is magnificent because, most of the time, he strikes a convincing balance of pomposity and menace - two characteristics we least associate with this actor…this version of Richard II also sees Tennant become a true star of the stage, as well as our TV screens.”
Read the article here

Metro: Richard II looks like he just stepped out of a salon

Metro largely fixate on David's hair extensions, but call the production splendid, with a 'visually ravishing' set design, and they also have praise for Jane Lapotaire and Oliver Ford Davies.

Read more here

The Arts Desk: This is more than a one-man show

Describing the production as "...one of the strongest company performances of Shakespeare that I’ve seen for many a year." The Arts Desk also draw attention to the pathos David draws from a character initially set up to be arrogant and unlikable.

Read the full review here

The Standard

The Standard lead with the reminder that David was an accomplished stage actor before his TV success: "His mercurial central turn in this knotty play offers a timely reminder of that, as does his accomplished delivery of some of the most exquisite poetry in all of Shakespeare."

Read more here

Richard II Backstage Tour Starts Today

Wondering what’s going on behind the scenes during the RSC’s production of Richard II?

Before you see the play, enjoy a different experience of the theatre with The Barbican's backstage tour.

Searching out the nooks and crannies of a working theatre, exploring the wings and the fly tower, you will be treated to the history of the theatre in the company of the experienced Barbican Explorers.

The tour begins today and runs throughout December and January. It costs just £10.50 per ticket (concessions £8.40)

Book online here

Richard II's London Press Night Tonight

Tonight is the Press Night for Richard II at the Barbican in London tonight.

The play which transferred to the Barbican after a critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon is playing in residence in London until 25th January 2014. 

The cast includes David Tennant, Emma Hamilton, Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington, Jane Lapotaire and Oliver Ford Davies and it is directed by Gregory Doran. 

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 (except 12th December) in person only from the Barbican Box Office. Limited to one ticket per person. 

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

Richard II Opens Tonight At The Barbican In London

David Tennant's latest play with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Richard II, opens tonight at the Barbican in London.

The play which is transferring after a critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon will play in residence at the Barbican until 25th January 2014. 

The cast includes David Tennant, Emma Hamilton, Nigel Lindsay, Michael Pennington, Jane Lapotaire and Oliver Ford Davies and it is directed by Gregory Doran. 

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 (except 12th December) in person only from the Barbican Box Office. Limited to one ticket per person. 

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

More Tickets Available For Richard II Starring David Tennant

Tickets are currently available for most performances of Richard II starring David Tennant at the Barbican Theatre in London. The critically acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production directed by Gregory Doran was previously advertised as sold out.

Click here to view dates and buy tickets

Richard II opens for previews at the Barbican on Monday 9th December and remains in residence until Saturday 25th January 2014. 

For more information, production photos and videos please visit our website

Richard II Nominated In The WhatsOnStage Awards

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Richard II, which stars David Tennant in the title role, has been shortlisted for the Best Regional Production award in this year's WhatsOnStage Awards for it's run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in October and November this year.
Voting is now open and will remain so until 31st January 2014. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 23rd February 2014.

The full list of nominees for the Best Regional Production are as follows:

Macbeth - at the Manchester International Festival
My Fair Lady - at Sheffield Crucible
Richard II - RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Prodigals - at the Belgrade, Coventry
To Sir, With Love - at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton and on tour

Click here to vote now!

Richard II transfers to London's Barbican Centre on Monday 9th December 2013 where it will play in residence until Saturday 25th January 2014.

To find out more about David Tennant in Richard II please visit our website here.

Richard II Live From Stratford-upon-Avon Begins Broadcasting In US Cinemas

From today the Live From Stratford-upon-Avon recording of Richard II starring David Tennant in the title role will begin broadcasting in US cinemas.
The screenings will take place in selected locations on selected dates between now and 2nd January 2014.

To find out if there is a screening of Richard II in a cinema near you please visit the Live From Stratford-upon-Avon webiste here and enter your zip code.

Richard II opens at the Barbican Theatre in London on the 9th December where it plays in residence until 25th January 2014. The run is currently sold out; contact the theatre directly for information about day tickets and returns.

A DVD of the recording is due for release following the Barbican run.

To find out more about Richard II, to watch videos, read articles and see photos please visit our website here.

"The Half" Photographic Exhibition Featuring David Tennant Opens In Stratford-upon-Avon Today

Today Simon Annand's exhibition of photographs of actors preparing for the stage opens at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The Half is a touring exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) curated with Simon Annand. This special version of the exhibition, created in collaboration with the RSC, includes new photographs on public display for the first time of Jane Lapotaire, Michael Pennington and David Tennant from the RSC's current production of Richard II.

The Half is an actor's countdown to walking on stage and facing an audience. Simon Annand's photographs capture this final 35 mins of excitement and intensity before the show begins. Visitors are invited to peep into the secret world of the dressing room to discover actors engaging in personal reflections and private rituals as they make the transition into character.

The exhibition also features a video of images by Simon Annand of the RSC's costume team and acting company working together backstage, commissioned by the RSC as part of In Stitches, a celebration of costume. The images capture the team's energy, collaboration and breadth of skills drawn on every day before and during a show.

The Half includes 94 prints of actors spanning over 30 years of British Theatre including new images of RSC actors preparing for the summer 2013 shows Titus Andronicus and Candide and the current production of Richard II. Other RSC actors featured include Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons, David Oyelowo, Jonathan Slinger, Pippa Nixon and Mariah Gale. The exhibition also includes Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, Martin Sheen and Jude Law.

The exhibition is curated by Kate Bailey of the V&A in collaboration with Simon Annand and the RSC's Events and Exhibitions Department.

The Half: Photographs of actors preparing for the stage. By Simon Annand 

Ferguson Room, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 

30 November 2013 – 16 February 2014

Free to the public and open from 10am daily

Support RSC In Style And Own A Piece Of Richard II History

The Royal Company are inviting audiences to support their work and as a thank you they will receive a piece of RSC history.
The RSC is a registered charity and as a result donations from their supporters play a vital role in the work that they do including education programmes in schools, ensuring access for young people and families, and working with artists.
That support enables all of their work, which begins its life in their workshops based in Stratford-upon-Avon.
To help gain support they have just launched the Support in style appeal which gives donors the chance to own some unique drawings and swatches of fabric from the costumes of Richard II starring David Tennant in the lead role.

All donations received through the Support in style appeal will go towards supporting their costume department which makes their actor's costumes in the their workshops and help them to reach this year's £1m target for their Made in Stratford campaign.

There are four levels of support.

Cast member 
If you donate £50 you will be able to download a specially created costume design for Bushy (Sam Marks) by designer Stephen Brimson Lewis for Gregory Doran's current production of Richard II.

Supporting role 
If you donate £100 we will send you a Richard II Design Folio which includes:
Limited Edition costume design print by Richard II designer Stephen Brimson Lewis
A swatch of the fabric used to make the costume of the Duke of Aumerle, played by Oliver Rix

Main role 
If you donate £250 we will send you:
Limited Edition costume design print by Richard II designer Stephen Brimson Lewis 
A watermarked certificate which commemorates the production and costume 
A swatch of the fabric used to make the costume of the Duchess of Gloucester, played by Jane Lapotaire 
An invitation to tour the RSC Costume Workshops in Stratford-upon-Avon

Lead role 
If you donate £500 we will send you:
Limited Edition costume design print by Richard II designer Stephen Brimson Lewis
A swatch of the fabric used to make the costume of King Richard II, played by David Tennant 
An invitation to tour the RSC Costume Workshops in Stratford-upon-Avon
An invitation to a special dinner event with Head of RSC Costume

Donate Now
Find out more about the RSC In Style