THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III (Red Bull Theater)****

 

By Cal

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1dwrpaacSg&feature=youtu.be

Available until: Friday 15^th January 7pm EST (Saturday 16^th January 1am in the UK)

Content warning: Contains themes of racism, the use of racial slurs – the N-word.

Red Bull Theater’s productions premiere in the middle of the night for UK viewers and they’re only available for a few days, but they really are worth a watch. They find so many interesting plays which I’ve never heard of and they always have something really relevant to say. The African Company Presents Richard III is set in 1821 and was premiered in 1988 (though this production is of the significant 1992 rewrite, in which a major character was removed from the play). In many ways, attitudes have moved on and it’s a good thing, but other things haven’t changed, at least not as much as we’d have liked them to and one way of showing that is to put it into a work of fiction and let us see it for ourselves. The play might be fiction, but there’s a lot of truth in fiction if you’re prepared to look for it. Far too much of this play rings true.

It’s about a theatre company called The African Company who are putting on a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III. It’s all arranged and everything seems to be going well, but there are tensions in the cast and another theatre company is mounting a production which also happens to be of Richard III. That company is more prestigious. It’s also a company of white actors. And this is 1821…

Carlyle Brown’s script contains a lot that is likely to make a modern day audience uncomfortable and that’s exactly as it should be. There are aspects of the play and elements of the society depicted in the play which should be questioned and criticised. Just as the characters in the play have reservations about things that happen in Richard III, we have reservations about things that happen in this play. I would hope that most people will be watching the play and recognising the language and attitudes as being wrong. The playwright isn’t saying that these languages and attitudes are acceptable. He’s showing us the way things were and inviting us to watch, learn and see for ourselves that some things were – and still are – very wrong.

Although the play focuses on racism, there are other examples of prejudice which comes from stereotypes. One of the characters is surprised to meet a policeman who is a fan of Shakespeare. Another is surprised when a woman declares her intention of coming to see The African Company’s play. It would be easy to be angry about this and that’s certainly not the wrong reaction, but I think it’s good to look at something like this and say there’s still a lot to be done in creating an equal society, but we’ve come a long way and achieved a lot and that’s another reason why we need to keep going and achieve more. Because we know it’s possible.

But The African Company Presents Richard III is not just an educational play. It’s also a very good story about interesting characters who are fighting to do something which they love. (It also happens to be something they’re very good at, but the fact they love it is enough to make it important.) A lot of the problems they face are typical of the time, but the underlying tensions beneath that are things which a lot of people involved in theatre would be able to relate to – and outside the theatre too. In all areas of life, people take on roles (and not just theatrical roles) which some sections of society think they should not be taking on. People do become very upset with each other. People’s personal issues affect their ability to do their job.

This production, directed by Carl Corfield, does have a modern feel to it and I’d never have guessed it was set in 1821, but that’s probably at least partly down to the fact the actors are zooming in from their homes and people tend not to have an extensive array of costumes for every occasion and the skills and equipment to do their own make-up in a style which is appropriate for the time. Despite this, the actors present the characters very well and show their versatility as actors by also performing the sections from Shakespeare very well. There is enough Shakespeare for it to be really enjoyable, but these sections are in the play for a reason so they don’t hold up the story – they’re part of the story.

Richard III is played by James Hewlett, who is played by Dion Johnstone. James, or Jimmy as he’s usually known, causes a lot of problems in the play and he isn’t the easiest to work which, but while Dion expresses this brilliantly, he also presents Jimmy as a human being with flaws whom we care about. Another major character is the exuberant ‘Papa Shakespeare’, played by Craig Wallace. He brings great energy to the role and even when Shakespeare is in relaxed mode, there’s a sense of tension lurking beneath his smiles.

There are two women in this cast, both very confident and forward-thinking and when they get together, they’re very funny. Much is made of the fact that the character of Anne in Richard III is played by Ann in this play – so it is perhaps fitting that Ann is played by An(toinette). Jokes aside, Antoinette Robinson gives a really good performance as the rather admirable Ann, a strong woman with principles, but also with feelings. Jessika D. Williams’ Sarah seems confident too on the surface, but the play reveals a lot about the uncertainties in her life.

As William Henry Brown, Clifton Duncan displays charm, intelligence – and a complete determination to have his way. Edward Gero is unscrupulous and slightly unnerving as Stephen Price, and Paul Niebanck makes much of the small role of the Constable.

It’s another thought-provoking production from the Red Bull Theater – and we only have to wait two weeks for the next one.