7/27/2019 Richard III notes for exam.docx

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Tobacco Factory Bristol 7th March

DirectedAndrew Hilton

RichardJohn Mackay

Shakespeare at the tobacco factory

Script not altered

Lighting, music, propsmore psychological

Tobacco Factory Original Performance Conditions

Coronation SceneAct 4 Scene 2

Richard crowned

Wants princes dead

I wish the Bastards dead

Modern depictionmain villain

ield inin procession

Knelt in rowsRichards feet

Froze centre of proxemics

Richardpaced round outsidecalled characters

from middle

Casteerie blue light

Richardwarm yellowSpiked crowndull grey

Richarddark clothes

Close to audiencegain relationshipintimacy

Not on his sideenjoy villainous character

Trumpetmusic between scenes

We are Richards co-conspirators/closest friends

Over the top

Audience enjoyed royalty

Set in Church

Richard killed way to power

Queen Elizabethno heirsAudience unsure who

will take over

Could arrive through groundlings

CelebrationReligious figures

Audience part of congregation

Richard talkingBuckingham/TyrellGroundlings

cheered

Villain from beginning

Withered Hand SceneAct 3 Scene 4

Council sessionblames Edwards wife for deformity

I am bewitch'd; behold, mine arm

blasted sapling wither'd up.

& this is Edward's wife, monstrous witch,

Consorted with that harlot strumpet Shore,That by their witchcraft thus have marked me

Underplayed/subtle

Psychological tool

Couldnt pull out chair

Hand in claw position

Laid hand on tableblaming someone else

In roundaudience close to action

Naturalistic

Modern audience view disability differently

Audience scared/shocked of hand

Disability caused by cursestrong views

No medical knowledge

Prop usedscare audience more

Close to groundlingsscare them

Richard evilCursed

Exaggerated

Audience not quietgrab attention

Declamatory style

Ghost Scene Act 5 scene 5

Despair and dieIt is now dead midnight.

Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am

Entered wearing hooded cloaks

Waiting for battle

Revealedpeople Richard killed

Hoods down

Ghosts = manifestation of Richards guilt

Blue lightnot reality

Guilty conscience

Darkstudio space

Spooky atmosphere

Night time

More focus on ghosts

White face paints

White cloaks

Balcony looking down

Psychology didnt exist no understandingguilt

Believed in ghosts

Daylightno atmosphere

Balconyhigher upheavenly

Richard low downhell

Ghosts close to upper class

7/27/2019 Richard III notes for exam.docx

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Original Performance conditions

Actors

No directorworked in companies More declamatory style Boys played women Entirely male cast Closer relationship with audiencehad to

fight for attentionnot

modern/respectfulmore didactic style

Actors doubled upAudience

Allowed to talkdisruptiveactorsfought for attention

Expressed feelings during performancethrow fruit - boo

Paid more to sit down Walk about during performance Lean on stage Poorer people stoodgroundlings Allowed to talk Rife with disease and illness Groundlings presence imposed upon

actors as they were closest to the stage

Shakespeare never insulted audiencelifeblood of theatre

Charge more for indoor theatres, manycouldnt afford to go Black Friars

15000 went a weekonly form ofentertainment

Stage/Theatre

The Globe/The Theatre Thrust stage - Surrounded - open yard Stage at one endgoing into audience Three sides of yardthree tiers of

galleries

Sitting or standing (groundlings)

Apron stage raisedhad trap door Balcony Live musicians Minimal set/Basic props Outdoor theatrePerformed in daylight

2pmused natural light

Performance affected by weather Poorer people stood Indoor theatresperformances in candle

light

Possibility of walking amongst audience

Technical Elements

Live music Make upused to show female

characters

No lightingtime of day/weatherincluded in text

Costume not historically accurateonlywhat available to themwhat worn at

timeclass easily recognizable

Richard III

Richard III performed officially at TheTheatre/Blackfriarsperformed on

streetsout of Londonspread of

plagueTheatres closed

Performed at time when audienceworried about monarchyQueen

Elizabeth had no heirsWhod be next

ruler?

Scared of Richardcomes into audiencewith withered hand scared of

deformity

Oliver Cromwell got rid of theatresbecause he thought they were evil

Earliest recorded performance163315

thcentury

Custom built playhouse built by JamesBurbage1576

Richard III played by Richard Burbage settings (time) - Around 1485

General

Difficult to understand psychologically -clearly power-hungry and sadistic

Motivations - malevolent hatred - hard topinpoint.

Richard does not possess a complexhuman psychology(psychology didnt

exist)

stock character early medieval drama -simply represented the evil in man,

Richard does not justify villainyhe issimply bad.

704 words