Richard III, Shakespeare's Globe ****

After seeing Shakespeare seen through the scope of an Italian composer, it didn't seem that far a step to see him filtered through the Chinese culture and language (in this case mandarin). This production is a pleasure to watch. Xiaoying has created a production that incorporates Chinese culture with Shakespeare's story and without the beauty of the text, you can see the pure talent on display. The murderers are played comically by Cai Jingchao and Zhang Zhiyong as a counterbalance to their acts whilst the murders are carried out with a black sheet being thrown over the victims head rather than in a goldfish bowl or being electrocuted. Wang Jianan extraordinary talent for drums help build up the tension as does the set from Luo Dajun that is showered with blood after each murder. The pure talent of Zhang Hao is astonishing to watch. His Richard rivals Mark Rylance's as a slippery a characterful portrayal that moves like a serpent waiting for it's next catch. Whilst the use of three witches at the beginning made me think that the Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio had brought their production of Macbeth in early, it made for a fantastic afternoon of drama.

Richard III, Trafalgar Studios ***

Martin Freeman in Richard III at Trafalgar Studios

If you want gore,Titus Andronicus at the Globe is for you. If you want Shakespeare retold in a modern context, you can't get much better than King Lear at the National. For a great Richard III, Mark Rylance's is hard to top. What I am trying to get at is that Jamie Lloyds adaption of this play does not have a USP; a sticking point. Yes, he has put a big star at the helm and has dramatically cut it to make sense to a younger generation but there is nothing particularly dangerous or different about it. Others have criticized the Winter of Discontent theme but I don't mind it. Whilst it does not make dramatic sense, if it wasn't for the sake of it being the only thing anyone in the production seemed to talk about, it would have been glossed over by many of the critics. Freeman himself seems to have developed the typical Shakespearean accent which was quite off-putting but his physicality was excellent. Gina Mckee was superb as always, as was the majority of the cast although the little child who played York overacted hugely and rather amused me when,in the dream sequence, he bumped into a desk. Whilst the deaths, publiscised for being overly gruesome, were pretty ordinary, the lighting was the stand out part of the show. It was stunning how it showed Richard's private and personal life. It is the one thing in this play which is awards- worthy. 

What really excited me, however, was the fact that there was an impromptu question and answer session after the show. Having see Jamie Lloyd at West End Live and much of the cast interviewed across the BBC, I was not expecting anything original but I was wrong. What is so good about these sessions is that, because you have just seen the show, the director and cast do not need to worry about revealing spoilers about the play. This led to some intriguing answers as well as astonishment to hear the schedule for ensemble member Alasdair Buchan who understudies 5 roles. These events, which are intended to go on for multiple dates in the season, are an absolute delight.

Richard III is playing at the Trafalgar Studios until 27th September.