My kingdom for a horse!

Manipulation, deceit, murder: all things a student may have in mind during exam season. So what better stress relief is there than going to see the Durham Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard III? A brilliant Shakespearean tragedy brought to the stage by students, for students should surely take one’s mind off revision.

From the moment the lights dimmed it became very apparent that this production was created by some very experienced members of the Durham student theatre scene. Powerful, eerie music filled the Assembly Rooms, building up tension with the help of a flickering TV screen. This use of multimedia was a strength throughout the play. 

Sound designers Sophie Morelle and Owen Roberts could not have done a better job at creating just the right sinister atmosphere at pivotal moments. Nearly as powerful was the use of the TV set at the forefront of the stage, especially as a distraction to the audience whilst props were moved around.

The use of the TV, as well as other modern props – cameras, cigarettes, a toy dinosaur – brought the production into an ambiguous setting in time. This was obviously far more suitable for the budget of a student production than a fifteenth century costume drama. 

Yet it did make a discerning viewer wonder whether director Jonathan Bullock had watched the 1995 film dramatisation of Richard III recently? Of course moving the play forward in time is not a copyrighted idea, but the boar crest used as the backdrop in most of the second half was just a bit too similar to that seen in the film.

This aside, the production was considerably faithful to Shakespeare’s text. Lines were delivered well from the 21-person cast, all of whom must have spent their entire Easter holidays glued to a script. Ollie Lynes as the lead was at his best in monologues, presenting an array of twisted emotions gleefully. Though difficult to stand out in such a large cast, Keiran Sims and Callum Cheatle managed to do so in their various small roles, most poignantly as executioners of the Duke of Clarence (Alex Bhat) in one of the most memorable scenes of the production.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few scenes which should have been forgotten. Though editing Shakespeare may be taboo, three and a half hours is difficult for any production to get away with. For example, the significance of Lady Anne (Gabby Wass) did not come through, and she could have been dropped. The three brilliantly executed murders – including chopping off a head – were quite enough to convince the audience that Richard was not a very nice guy. 

These scenes were the best examples of what made the production so worthwhile, as the cast and crew came together to make something that was obviously their own. Moments of subtle humour were also a highlight, as in the cracking of knuckles at just the right moment. The play ended on a truly original moment, with the unveiled victims of Richard’s tyranny looking over his dead body, leaving the audience with a generally good impression as a whole.