Richard II

Stratford Festival Canada - Sept 12, 2023

Directed by Jillian Keiley

Adapted by Brad Fraser (Author of “All the Rage”)

Starring Stephen Jackman-Torkoff as Richard II

About the Play

Richard II, one of Shakespeare's history plays, focuses on the life and reign of England’s King Richard II, who ruled from 1377 to 1399. Shakespeare wrote Richard II around 1595, during the reign of Elizabeth I. The play was likely controversial at that time, as its main theme was the "divine right of kings": the idea that monarchs are appointed by God and that their thoughts, ideas, and desires are therefore infallible, an idea that was being questioned during this time when Elizabeth I was on the throne.

In the play, Richard rules unfairly and tyrannically. He seizes titles and property, spends the crown’s wealth recklessly, engages in unnecessary wars, and risks the stability of England. In the end, Richard is overthrown and killed by Bolingbroke (who becomes Henry IV), whom he’s mistreated for years.

Even though the play tells the tragic story of Richard's rise and fall, it is one of Shakespeare's most beautifully written works. Richard, known as "the poet king," delivers some of Shakespeare's most eloquent lines. The play is also unique upon Shakespeare’s plays because it is written entirely in verse, making each line lyrical. (Verse lines are written in stanzas with a specific rhythm; prose is just the common way of writing, with sentences and paragraphs.)

One of the Best Productions of Any Shakespeare Play I’ve Seen—Incredible!