I often tell people that "King Lear" is my favorite of all the Shakespeare plays but the dirty truth is that "Richard III" is the one I most enjoy. I have seen neither performed on the stage until now. This production features no less than Kevin Spacey in the lead role and, honestly, who wouldn't want to see that? I'm here to let you know that you won't be disappointed should you get the chance to see the latest Brooklyn Academy of Music's (BAM) Bridge Project production directed by Sam Mendes.
That being said, all is not entirely well...
While the production as whole appears well done, the same cannot be said of the cast and that actually includes Mr. Spacey himself. That is to say, watching this "Richard" left me with a feeling that I had seen two different shows performed simultaneously.
I was let down watching the scene I most wanted to see, Act 1, Scene II in which Richard seduces Lady Anne in front of her dead husband. Mind you, the man Richard himself killed! In my opinion, this scene is arguably one of the most difficult to perform and requires a nuance that only seasoned actors can bring to the stage. And I did not see that in our Lady Anne, played by Annabel Scholey, always operating at one level and never conveying the required grief, hatred, shock, outrage, bewitchment, and submission (yes, in that order and, yes, I may have left something out) that the audience not only needs to see, but feel. Unfortunately, Ms. Scholey's Lady Anne was no match for Spacey's Richard. It must be said, however, that 'Lady Anne' acquits herself somewhat in the second act but curiously as a ghost - hmm.
I did think it was really odd that two adult women were cast as the doomed princes. They clearly looked like two adult women dressed in schoolboy uniforms - visually, it just didn't work.
The rest of the cast seemed to be overshadowed by Mr. Spacey's over-the-top performance which bordered parody at times including the physical presentation of Richard - mangled leg in a brace with a prominent humpback (it reminded me of Roger "Verbal" Kint and Jimmy at times). It bothered me that some of the lines were delivered with a nudge, nudge, wink, wink aspect that elicited laughter from the audience. It really felt out of place - kind of like the wave at Fenway Park. C'mon people! It's not a comedy. But maybe that was Mr. Spacey's fault.
So, there I am sitting through the first act dazzled by the awesomeness of Kevin Spacey's presence on stage but equally perplexed by both the seemingly lack of presence by the rest of the cast AND Kevin Spacey occasionally taking Richard to an unnecessary level. But something happened on the way to intermission. It became the "Richard III" I wanted to see!
The first clue came in the scene in which the ailing King Edward asks everybody to reconcile; it is cleverly done as a photo op. Later on, the scene in which Richard is petitioned to take power as king is brilliantly executed. And it is from this point, that the show achieves a consistency well worth seeing.
Again, while many of the cast continue to be outshined by Mr. Spacey during the second act, Haydn Gwynne, as the wronged Queen Elizabeth, gives as good as she gets when Richard asks, then demands, that she speak to her daughter for her hand in marriage. The production as a whole seems to finally find its soul and achieve equilibrium after intermission. And it finishes strong; the play runs so smoothly that you don't even feel the three hours that it takes to perform.
Be forewarned there is a particularly grisly scene. And while I know this review comes off as not-a-ringing endorsement, you will most certainly be entertained.
"Richard III" by William Shakespeare. At the BAM Harvey Theatre, 651 Fulton St., Brooklyn; running now through March 4th.
