DruidShakespeare: Richard III

See it if you love diff approaches to WS. R3 has gr material (truly evil villain) and he's well played. But much of the supporting cast disappoints.

Don't see it if you want to hear every word, want all strg actors, want intelligent cuts (over 3 hrs). Weird laughs added. Ugly costumes. Drags in parts.

See it if Monaghan's spritely, (!) corrosive Richard dominates this clear, crisp if icy production unless Mullan's fire-breathing Margaret is around

Don't see it if Haynes' tonally dark, incarcerating concept seems fitting for the current times yet feels somewhat distancing & chilly rather than chilling

See it if To see a clear, intense Shakespeare with a riveting leading performance, also focuses on the women in Richard's life, cynical, relevant

Don't see it if Not a fan of Shakespeare or can't follow Shakespeare's language, some violent images, want a modern dress Shakespeare

Also Aaron Monaghan gives a dazzling, witty, and unbelievably physical performance. This is Shakespeare done relatively straightforward but with some exciting but not overblown stage images, gives equal credence to the four women in Richard's life, features the phenomenal Marie Mullen as Margaret and the Lord Mayor of London (one of the few instances of cross-gender casting), Irish cast does
English accents quite well, does not feel like 2-1/2 hours... Read more Read less

See it if you've never seen Richard III. All the complex plotting is clear and dramatically portrayed.

Don't see it if you are bothered by anachronistic staging choices.

See it if The Druids invade America with a stunning portrayal of a great Shakespearean king. The lead actor shuns the use of artificial prosthetics.

Don't see it if You are not open to a unique interpretation of Richard's wiles and the execution scenes. The accents are all different and natural.

Also A few years ago I saw the Druids' production of the Shakespeare Kings' series. It was a 6 hour event with a dinner break in between. This is a great way to really appreciate the skill of these actors, and the imagination of the amazing director, Garry Hynes.
Aaron Monaghan becomes Richard III both mentally and physically without the use of any artificial embellishments.
The accompanying actors sometimes play multiple roles. The Druids are the best at interpreting Shakespeare in an unusual and interesting way. Their performances are never boring.... Read more Read less

See it if This 3 hour Richard III flies by. Aaron Monaghan is perfect as the deformed villain. He uses 2 canes and dominates the stage.

Don't see it if Ranks up there with Mark Rylance on Broadway & Kevin Spacey at BAM. Monaghan played Gogo in Druid's "Waiting for Godot last year. Versatile!

Also Marty Rea, the Catesby, was Didi in "Godot" last year.

See it if Elite talent dares to put on a Richard III for the ages. Screw your narrow experiments & virtuous parsimony—Druid pulls out all the stops.

Don't see it if dislike dark European stuff; prefer quotidian vision, relatable psychology, literal historicity. Irish troupe has cynical view of Engl crown

Also Now that’s my kind of period piece. This is crazy grand! Often funny in morbid, unexpected ways. Granted, no one is especially sympathetic in this court of cutthroat Machiavelles. Won’t touch your heart, but will fuel the imagination. Sometimes you just really crave canonical poetry approached with operatic vision by expert cast/creative firing on all cylinders.

*Ppl seem divided on the costumes. My two cents: Set & costume by Francis O’Connor is the sort of work that’s painstakingly collected for obscure publications to grant later generations of designers latitude to push the limits & emotional impact of historical silhouettes/forms. Same could be said for the rest of the play. Delectable!... Read more Read less

See it if you want great acting especially Aaron Monaghan the lead. Great lighting & sound. An experience. Must like Shakespeare's history plays.

Don't see it if you want action..mostly talk. Hard to follow story, accents difficult, long. Only for fans of Shakespeare's history plays. Slow.

See it if Outstanding version of classic, with interesting staging,costumes,lighting.The centerpiece is the marvelous acting of Aaron Monahan and cast

Don't see it if You are not a fan of the Bard's works.This play is 3 hours long, but time goes by quickly.

See it if you want to see one of Shakespeare's best played by a great Irish company in a gorgeous, harsh, mixed modern staging.

Don't see it if You're looking for a fresh take of an enduring, timely classic. But this is a highly competent production with moments of excellence.

Also Even if there's nothing wild or outrageous (as there was in last year's Ostermeier production) here, there are moments of beautiful clarity elicited by Hynes: Clarence's dream; Anne's seduction; the final battle.... Read more Read less

See it if Aaron Monaghan gives a towering, masterful performance as Richard III that should not be missed.

Don't see it if You cannot abide 3 hours of Shakespeare, even if clear, precise and artfully stages as is the case with this fine production.

See it if If you have never seen a production of Richard III before & want to see a masterful production, beautiful but bleak staging, great lighting

Don't see it if you would be bored with all the talk, talk, talk & very little action; cannot focus for 3 long hours...

See it if you enjoy the Bard. Pretty simple.

Don't see it if you...don’t like the Bard.

See it if you like Shakespeare. Monaghan's Richard is well acted and while hardly subtle, he is effective. The rest are good enough to carry the drama

Don't see it if you cannot sit for three hours. It is long and at times slow in its repetitive executions. Richard is the only fully realized character

See it if Aaron Monaghan gives a remarkable performance. Shakespeare's most evil character shines. Great set & effects. 3 hours, moves along quickly.

Don't see it if you'd dislike an anachronistic production, w loud mechanized executions, uneven supporting actors & costumes.

Also I'd never considered Richard III a comedy, but Druid Shakespeare managed to make it comedic, a sarcastic & biting & funny drama, especially during the 1st act.

Love the rain storm in the 1st act, during which Richard plots how he will become king & destroy his rivals for the throne. From the 3rd row, you could smell the rain, quite literally.

The production's comedic attributes did not work quite as well in Act 2, when clouds darken figuratively & literally & the murders rapidly multiply. Moreover, none of the supporting actors are equal to Monaghan's stellar performance.

I especially enjoyed Monaghan's fine facial expressions, his superb timing & his acrobatic agility (he made himself a cripple with no artificial aids). If you love Shakespeare, this production is a must see.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy historical and/or Shakespearean plays.

Don't see it if You don't like plays with a lot of violence.

See it if you enjoy intelligent, well-thought out stagings of classic plays, with a great ensemble the makes Shakespeare's words shine with clarity.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy modern staging touches, expect more of a statement from current readings of Richard III, or prefer shorter plays.

See it if /for a relatively straightforward production of Richard III, with good performances by Monaghan and several supporting players.

Don't see it if you can’t sit through a 3-hour play, have no knowledge of English history, or prefer your Shakespeare glitzed-up and modernized.

See it if you love Shakespeare, are a fan of this theatre company, or want to see this classic play done extremely well

Don't see it if you’re put off by the length (it doesn’t feel like 3 hours, trust me) or Shakespeare isn’t your thing

Also One of the best performances of this play, or any other Shakespeare play, that I have ever seen. Chillingly designed set. Gorgeous, timeless costumes. Incredible work from the entire company, led by the remarkable Aaron Monaghan. I couldn’t believe the physical work being done - the actors who had to play dead, especially Marty Rea who played Clarence/Catesby, were remarkable in their limp vulnerability. The three hours flew by. I honestly would have scored this higher had it not been for the slew of metal detectors and insane amount of police officers that you encounter upon entering the theatre. I realise the performance is taking place in a college and they have to abide by any security that the school has, but it was beyond unnecessary. Set such a nasty and unsettling tone for what was truly a remarkable evening of theatre. Either they need to tone it down a touch, or Lincoln Center needs to do a better job at informing their audiences of this.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy interpretations of Shakespeare highlighting the relevance of his works to modern times; masterful acting and amazing production.

Don't see it if You are not into Shakespeare plays or prefer classic staging, interpretation etc

See it if Beautifully staged, compelling acting company whose performers know how to speak Shakespeare's language. Excellent costumes and lighting.

Don't see it if Strident and unrelenting in tone. Violent, but it's Richard III, after all!

See it if you would enjoy an intelligent production of one of Shakespeare's historical plays with excellent acting.

Don't see it if you are not interested in seeing another play by Shakespeare with an odd set and costumes.

Also The setting seems to be in a meat locker and I am not completely sure why. The costumes were mostly traditional but somewhat tacky. The acting, expecially by Aaron Monaghan, was excellent.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy fascinating, absorbing imagery and great acting.

Don't see it if don't enjoy a bit of humor in your Richard III.

See it if Great performances by cast, engaging, great staging, sound effects, and costumes. Absorbing for most of the 2 1/2 hours.

Don't see it if Might be jarring for some people due to loud sound effects for execution scenes. Seats a little uncomfortable but still worth seeing.

See it if you want to see a powerful and creative production with outstanding acting, especially by Richard III.

Don't see it if you do not care for Shakespeare's historical dramas.