Writer: William Shakespeare
Stars: Martin Freeman, Forbes Masson, Lauren O'Neil, Jo Stone-Fewings, Simon Coombs
Director: Jamie Lloyd
★★★☆☆
I went to see the theatre play "Richard III" starring Martin Freeman (John Watson from Sherlock) about a week ago. Because I'd only seen him playing a good Englishman, when I heard about this play, I thought he was miscast (sorry!). But when I watched the American TV drama "Fargo" in which he played an ordinary man who actually was quite nasty in a very convincing way, so I thought I should see his Richard III and bought a ticket.
About a week before the show, I received an email from the theatre saying
"Patrons seated in rows A, B, C and D of the auditorium seating and row AA of the stage seating please be prepared for the strong possibility of being splashed with stage blood and dress accordingly."
My expectation got higher.
I made a big mistake that even though I didn't know about the play with its complicated characters and relationships very well, I just read a simple synopsis before I went to the theatre. It was difficult for me to understand the lines spoken in Shakespeare's English and couldn't really get the relationship between so many characters and Richard. In the end, I was like
"Well, anyway, everybody is in the way of Richard's ambition..."
Still I enjoyed the show (I really did!). To achieve his desire to be a king, Richard gets rid of competitors one by one. Yes, so many characters are killed in varieties of ways. He always sends his men to kill his victims or traps them himself. But he killed one character himself and that was scary. He chased the victim all over the small stage and got her. Under his heavy breath, he attacked her again and again and again. And his villainous face! It was as if we were witnessing the real murder.
The play was set in the end of the 70's and the set reminded me of the office in "Tinker Tailor Solder Spy" (in fact they took inspiration from the book according to the program). And I guess the direction in which the story proceeds rather quickly reflects their intention in that they want to "engage with as many young people and new theatregoers as possible" (from the program). It felt a bit light to me despite the fact that so many people got murdered on the stage, but it was a fantastic introduction of Richard III for the beginners like myself.
I've heard that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock) is also going to play Richard III for a TV drama. I'd love to watch it to see the differences. Maybe I should read the play first!
By the way, I think there aren't any other actors who clears his throat as effectively as Martin Freeman.
1週間ほど前のこと。
About a week before the show, I received an email from the theatre saying
"Patrons seated in rows A, B, C and D of the auditorium seating and row AA of the stage seating please be prepared for the strong possibility of being splashed with stage blood and dress accordingly."
My expectation got higher.
I made a big mistake that even though I didn't know about the play with its complicated characters and relationships very well, I just read a simple synopsis before I went to the theatre. It was difficult for me to understand the lines spoken in Shakespeare's English and couldn't really get the relationship between so many characters and Richard. In the end, I was like
"Well, anyway, everybody is in the way of Richard's ambition..."
Still I enjoyed the show (I really did!). To achieve his desire to be a king, Richard gets rid of competitors one by one. Yes, so many characters are killed in varieties of ways. He always sends his men to kill his victims or traps them himself. But he killed one character himself and that was scary. He chased the victim all over the small stage and got her. Under his heavy breath, he attacked her again and again and again. And his villainous face! It was as if we were witnessing the real murder.
The play was set in the end of the 70's and the set reminded me of the office in "Tinker Tailor Solder Spy" (in fact they took inspiration from the book according to the program). And I guess the direction in which the story proceeds rather quickly reflects their intention in that they want to "engage with as many young people and new theatregoers as possible" (from the program). It felt a bit light to me despite the fact that so many people got murdered on the stage, but it was a fantastic introduction of Richard III for the beginners like myself.
I've heard that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock) is also going to play Richard III for a TV drama. I'd love to watch it to see the differences. Maybe I should read the play first!
By the way, I think there aren't any other actors who clears his throat as effectively as Martin Freeman.
1週間ほど前のこと。
BBCドラマ『シャーロック』でジョン・ワトソンを演じたマーティン・フリーマン主演のお芝居を観に行ってきました。
マーティン・フリーマン、常識人やイイ人を演じてるのしか観たことなくて、最初にこのお芝居の事を聞いたとき、失礼ながらも、ミスキャストでは？と思ったのですよ。
ところが、米テレビ・ドラマ『ファーゴ』で一見平凡なのに腹黒い主人公を説得力を持って演じていて、わー、やっぱりこの人のリチャード三世を観てみたい、と慌ててチケット取った次第。
観劇1週間前に劇場からメールが来て
「舞台近くのお席の方は血飛沫がかかる可能性がありますので、それなりの服装でおいでください」
と。高まる期待（笑）
それにしても失敗したのは、シェイクスピア通でもないのに、これだけ人物関係が複雑に入り組んだ劇にあらすじをざっと読んだだけで臨んだこと。
シェイクスピア英語で語られる台詞が半分も理解できない上に、やたらと数の多い登場人物とリチャードとの関係を把握しきれず。。しまいには、「とにかく、この人もこの人もリチャードが王位に就くのに邪魔なのね」と十把一絡げに。
それでも、 十分楽しめました！（いや、ホントに）
自らの野心のため、次々と邪魔者を消してゆくリチャード。
ありとあらゆる方法で登場人物がばんばん殺害されて行きます。
たいていは部下を使ったり、謀略を図ったりして自分の手は汚さないのですが、1人だけ自ら手にかけます。
これがねー、怖かった。
狭い舞台を逃げ回る被害者を不自由な身体で追いまわすリチャード。
追い詰めて、ぜーぜー息を切らせつつ、鬼の形相でこれでもか、これでもかと被害者の息の根を止めにかかって。。なんだか現実の殺人を目撃しているような感じでした。
今回の舞台は70年代末の英国に設定されていて、セットは映画『 裏切りのサーカス』に出てくるオフィスを彷彿とさせます（パンフによると実際、参考にしているそう）。
そこでサクサクと早いテンポで物語が進んでいく演出は、パンフにあった「普段シェイクスピアや演劇を観ない人たち、特に若い人たちに楽しんでほしい」という意図を反映していたと思います。
あんなに人が殺されちゃうのに何だか軽いなぁ、とは思いましたが、わたしのように初めてリチャード三世を観る人にとっては良い入門編だったのでは。
このお芝居は『シャーロック』でシャーロック・ホームズを演じたベネディクト・カンバーバッチもテレビでやるそうで。
是非とも観なければ。
いや、その前に戯曲を熟読しなければ。
ところで、マーティン・フリーマンは咳払い使いが抜群に上手い役者さんだと思うのですが、いかがでしょう？
自らの野心のため、次々と邪魔者を消してゆくリチャード。
ありとあらゆる方法で登場人物がばんばん殺害されて行きます。
たいていは部下を使ったり、謀略を図ったりして自分の手は汚さないのですが、1人だけ自ら手にかけます。
これがねー、怖かった。
狭い舞台を逃げ回る被害者を不自由な身体で追いまわすリチャード。
追い詰めて、ぜーぜー息を切らせつつ、鬼の形相でこれでもか、これでもかと被害者の息の根を止めにかかって。。なんだか現実の殺人を目撃しているような感じでした。
今回の舞台は70年代末の英国に設定されていて、セットは映画『 裏切りのサーカス』に出てくるオフィスを彷彿とさせます（パンフによると実際、参考にしているそう）。
そこでサクサクと早いテンポで物語が進んでいく演出は、パンフにあった「普段シェイクスピアや演劇を観ない人たち、特に若い人たちに楽しんでほしい」という意図を反映していたと思います。
あんなに人が殺されちゃうのに何だか軽いなぁ、とは思いましたが、わたしのように初めてリチャード三世を観る人にとっては良い入門編だったのでは。
このお芝居は『シャーロック』でシャーロック・ホームズを演じたベネディクト・カンバーバッチもテレビでやるそうで。
是非とも観なければ。
いや、その前に戯曲を熟読しなければ。
ところで、マーティン・フリーマンは咳払い使いが抜群に上手い役者さんだと思うのですが、いかがでしょう？
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