We were still at the stage that I thought Janie might just be converted on to Shakespeare, so I booked a couple of Bard productions that spring: Ralph Fiennes playing the title role in this one and Tony Sher playing the title role in the Scottish one.
The idea didn’t really work on Janie – especially Richard II, which she found long and dull, despite a great cast and very solid production.
If I remember correctly, Gainsborough was a pop up theatre on the site of a disused film studio in Hoxton. This was one of the Almeida’s homes for a while, during which time the theatre was being poshed-up a bit.
Ralph Fiennes was a nodding acquaintance of mine back then – one of several actors who frequented Lambton Place in those days. This I disclose in the interests of openness and transparency, not that nodding acquaintanceship might affect my judgment.
I thought this production was very good, but I have always had my doubts about Richard II as a play. It is one that I “studied” at school, as a precursor to Henry IV Part one being my ‘O’ Level text. If Michael Lempriere couldn’t make it interesting for me, even Ralph, Jonathan Kent directing and an excellent supporting cast were going to struggle.
Paul Taylor in The Independent liked it but was a little underwhelmed:
Richard Taylor Independent 13 Apr 2000, Thu The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard was more impressed by the set than anything else:
Richard de Jongh Standard 13 Apr 2000, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Even Charles Spencer in The Telegraph described it as “far from electrifying” and “dull”:
Richard Spencer Telegraph 14 Apr 2000, Fri The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Not our greatest weekend of theatre, 19/20 May 2000. But you cannot win them all.
