Richard Pasco as Richard II

In John Barton's 1973 production of Richard II, Richard Pasco and Ian Richardson alternated the title role and that of Bolingbroke. This serial doubling presented Richard and Bolingbroke as reflections of one another. This photo shows Richard Pasco as Richard (left) and Ian Richardson as Bolingbroke (right) in rehearsal holding a broken mirror. John Barton's production amplified the notion of the two central characters as direct opposites – expanding on evidence in the text. The difference in language employed by each character suggests Henry is a plain-spoken man of action, contrasted with Richard's poetic ineffectualness.

Mirror image

'On this side, my hand; and on that side, thine'  Richard, Act 4, Scene 1

Here is a production image of the same moment as the rehearsal images, showing Richard Pasco as Richard II and Ian Richardson as Bolingbroke. They both clutch a broken mirror - reduced to a crown-shaped frame, which later represents a noose - equidistant from their faces, highlighting the notion that they are both mirror-images of each other. It is often said that that Richard and Bolingbroke in the play are like buckets in a well: as the power of one rises, the other falls.

Ian Richardson as Richard II

Symmetry is a central theme of John Barton's production. The programme for the 1973 production contained an essay by Anne Barton entitled 'The King's Two Bodies' which explains the concept that the king has two bodies, central to John Barton's staging of the play. 'One of these bodies is flawless, abstract and immortal. The other is fallible, individual and subject to death and time.' This rehearsal photo shows Ian Richardson as Richard (left) and Richard Pasco as Bolingbroke (right) clutching the broken mirror. 

Nominated to play the king

The play opens with a meta-theatrical device – an actor portraying Shakespeare appears on stage to nominate either Pasco or Richardson to play the King. The designated Richard, now dressed in a mask, robe and crown, removes his mask and the play begins. Here is Ian Richardson as Richard in Act 3, Scene 1, dressed in the golden, sun-like cape.

 Glistering Phaethon

'Down, down I come; like glistering Phaethon.' Richard II, Act 3 Scene 1

In this production photo, Richard Pasco as Richard II appears on the bridge high above the stage wearing a large circular golden cloak which transforms Richard into a sun, which sets as the bridge drops to the floor.

Prompt Book for Richard II

This image shows the blocking notation for the same scene (Act 1 Scene 3) in the prompt book used when the play transferred to the Aldwych in 1974-5. For this scene, the banishment scene, the notes read: 'Bolingbroke and Mowbray point spears at each other. King carried upstage right on litter.'

Close-up of Prompt Book

Here is a close-up of the stage direction in Act 1 Scene 3, taken from the Aldwych prompt book. A prompt book is used by the Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) and notes blocking (where actors are positioned on stage) as well as lighting and sound effects cues. They DSM usually sits in the prompt corner, normally situated in the stage left wing. If the prompt corner is in the stage right wing, it is known as a 'bastard prompt.'

Costume list for Act 1 Scene 3

A costume list for Act 1, Scene 3. 'Richard (Pasco/Richardson) basic and hobby horse, gorget (piece of armour) and helmet with plumes, breastplate, gauntlets, cloak (shield and lance), buskins industrial, undervest and travelling cloak.'

Ian Richardson's ring

This is the ring worn by Ian Richardson during the production of Richard II. In 2013, Richardson's widow gave the ring to David Tennant, who played the title role in Gregory Doran's production. David Tennant wore it during the production, stating he 'wanted to have a bit of Ian Richardson on stage with me, giving me a hand' and regarded it as a talisman throughout the show.

Painting of Richard Pasco as Richard II

A painting of Richard Pasco in the title role of Richard II, by Lynne Johnson. This painting forms part of our Theatre Collection which includes artwork dating from several centuries.

The king is carried on a litter

This image depicts Richard Pasco as Richard II being carried 'upstage on a litter', as per the deputy stage manager's notes in the prompt book. A litter is a covered couch with shafts, used for carrying a single passenger

Poster for the 1973 production

Here is a poster for the 1973 production of Richard II, directed by John Barton, in which Ian Richardson and Richard Pasco played Richard II and Bolingbroke. Look closely and you will see the skull in the design, denoting the mortality of the king.

Samuel West as Richard II

Steven Pimlott's modern-dress production of Richard II - in which Samuel West played the title role - was the instalment of the a two-year Histories cycle in which all eight of Shakespeare's history plays were staged in chronological order. In this Brechtian-production in the intimate studio space at The Other Place, Richard dragged around a wooden box which acted as a dais for the throne, a mirror and coffin.

Prologue of the play

The play opens with Richard standing  on top of a coffin amidst the white-box set, designed by Sue Willmington and David Fielding, delivering the prologue of the play. This prologue was an edited extract from Act 5, Scene 5 of the play: 'Then crushing penury; Persuades me I was better when a king.' At the end of the play, David Troughton (Bolingbroke) stood on top of the wooden crate and repeated this prologue, highlighting the cyclical nature of kingship, akin to Machiavelli's Wheel of Fortune.

I must nothing must be

'Ay, no; no, ay; for I must nothing be; therefore no no, for I resign to thee. Now mark me, how I will undo myself.' Richard II, Act 4 Scene 1

This quote in the programme for Pimlott's minimalist production is taken from the deposition scene in Act 4, Scene 1 in which Richard ambiguously responds to Bolingbroke's direct question 'Are you contented to resign the crown?' 

Production programme

'Rather than a scept'red isle, designers David Fielding and Sue Willmington have created an antiseptic laboratory.' A review of the production by Jane Edwardes, published in Time Out. Susannah Clapp of the Observer applauded the design of the show, describing it as 'a lethal debating chamber.' This image shows the programme of the 2000 production of Richard II. The programme mimicked the set in its monochromatic, minimalist design.

Modern dress

'Director Steven Pimlott and his two designers, Sue Willmington and David Fielding have hosed off the heraldry, dressed everyone in stylish modern clothes on a white stage with white walls, lit by 18 neon panels à la Stanley Kubrick,' wrote Robert Gore-Langton in a review of the 2000 production of Richard II,  published in The Express. A  production image showing Samuel West in the title role, Catherine Walker as the Queen, and Alfred Burke as John of Gaunt.

David Troughton as Bolingbroke

A production photo showing David Troughton in the role of Bolingbroke, surrounded by the minimalist white set and modern costume design.

Prompt Book notes

Here is a page from Act 5, scene 5 in the stage management prompt book which notes the blocking of the play. The notes state that 'The centre doors open and Richard (Samuel West) drags coffin on... sets himself inside coffin, which is stood up on end.' 
The first production photo in this gallery shows this moment, where Richard speaks his soliloquy: 'I have been studying how I may compare / This prison where I live unto the world'.

Hollow crown

 'For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground
 And tell sad stories of the death of kings' Richard II, Act 3 Scene 2

A production image showing Samuel West in the title role of the 2000 production of Richard II. Here Richard ponders on his mortality and the 'hollow crown' of kingship.

Jonathan Slinger as Richard II

A production image from Michael Boyd's 2007 production of Richard II, in which Jonathan Slinger played the title role. In the first four acts, Richard wore opulent clothes, makeup and a wig and held an ornate sceptre, creating an effeminate look. 'Jonathan Slinger's Richard loved the camp splendour of court ceremony and 'dressing up' and at times resembled Elizabeth I in her prime,' said Michael Boyd.

Tom Piper's design for sceptre

Tom Piper's design for Richard's sceptre, as seen in the previous opening scene production image.

Blood and wig plot

In Act 5, Scene 1, Richard shed his wig, and appeared on stage in a plain robe, without makeup. Here is an extract from the blood and wig plot, showing a plan of the stage and the location of Jonathan Slinger and Richard's discarded wig in Act 5, Scene 1. Look closely and you can see the stage is in the shape of a man. 'The king's body is closely associated with the land, and our stage had two arms, two legs and a huge helmeted head and a torso which was ripped open often in our Histories cycle,' stated Michael Boyd, director of the 2007 production of Richard II.

Cleansing shower

A production image showing Richard under the shower of dust in Act 5, Scene 1, his discarded wig (shown in the previous wig plot) alongside.

This production chose to stage the moment reported by the Duchess of York in Act 5, Scene 2: 'Where rude misgoverned hands from windows' tops / Threw dust and rubbish on King Richard's head.'

Michael Boyd, Director, said of the sand shower: 'Richard's spiritual authority dated in our production from the 'cleansing' shower of dust or sand thrown upon him by the crowd. No make-up, no wig, no magnificent gown, just a man mortified under God's gaze and ours.' 

Prompt Book stage directions

This image shows the stage management prompt book, which outlines the cues for the sand shower and the positions of Richard and the Queen on stage in Act 5, Scene 1. The notes (centre) read: Queen enters upstage right with her two ladies.

Dresser's notes

'The cream gown will be full of sand so you will need to take it outside and give it a good shake.' Care instructions in the dresser's notes for Jonathan Slinger's costume, post sand shower in Act 5, Scene 1. A dresser is allocated to one or more actors in a show and assists with all their costume changes, ensuring that the actor can change in time for their next cue and all their costumes are present and correct.

Richard II poster, 2007

The poster for the 2007 production of Richard II, directed by Michael Boyd. The production was part of Michael Boyd's The Histories Cycle, where he staged all 8 of Shakespeare's history plays, culminating in 'The Glorious Moment' where all 8 plays were staged over 4 days, 34 actors playing around 264 parts.

The Queen and Richard

A production image showing Richard (Jonathan Slinger) and the Queen (Hannah Barrie) saying farewell in Act 5 Scene 1: 'So two, together weeping, make one woe.'