Richard II was directed by Michael Boyd as part of the History Cycle.
Richard II presides over a divided court, his vanity and favouritism fuelling increasing tension amongst the nobility. Having ordered the murder of his own uncle, Richard is forced to cover his involvement in the crime, banishing two nobles, including his cousin Henry Bolingbroke.
When Bolingbroke's father dies, Richard, desperate to strengthen his weakened position and fund a war overseas, seizes his land and wealth. Enraged, Bolingbroke returns from exile intent on deposing the King.
Chronologically the first of the eight plays in the History Cycle, Richard II sees the beginning of a great schism between the powerful nobility of England that will leave the nation riven by bloody conflict for the next hundred years.
Jonathan Slinger took the title role following his acclaimed performance as Richard III.
Additional information
Find out more about Shakespeare's Richard II.
