Richard II (BAM)

"This Richard is notably effeminate and moves suddenly between sighing boredom and fits of angry petulance. Mr. Tennant speaks the verse with elegant grace and clarity...Are we to believe that Richard’s growing awareness of his vulnerable humanity...is a direct result of his sexual awakening? This seems reductive, and has a modestly deflating effect on both a fine performance and a fine production...All in all, there isn’t a false or hollow rendering of any character in these productions." Full Review

"In this excellent production (helmed by RSC artistic director Gregory Doran), national mythology takes center stage...Tennant plays a sniveling, foppish Richard, whose arbitrary judgment and cavalier disregard for the rights of his vassals seem directly related to his outsize sense of divine entitlement...As he loses his kingdom, Tennant makes us feel a strange mixture of amusement and pity." Full Review

"David Tennant is thrilling as Richard II, the vain and insecure ruler who acquires depth and dignity on his descent to deposition and death. Audiences used to seeing Tennant reel off 'Doctor Who' banter will be impressed by how musical and crystalline he renders Richard’s exquisitely lyrical, glittering laments." Full Review

"Its interpretive work is instead done almost exclusively on a conceptual level, and achieved through the acting...This kind of quiet rethinking works best in 'Richard II,' which is to my mind the best of the plays...Tennant, a longtime Shakespearean, naturally has the vocal skills to get the text across smoothly, but his exceptional wit is what makes his performance the standout of the Henriad...Without that wit the verbal intricacy of the text becomes laborious instead of beautiful." Full Review

"Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Gregory Doran's staging of 'Richard II' is most notable for the supple playfulness of David Tennant's performance...The U.S. stage debut of the brilliant Scottish actor doesn't disappoint...Not every aspect of the production is as sharp...The women are also weak, not helped by a drama that already marginalizes them...But the commandingly eccentric center of the production is Tennant." Full Review

"Meant for those who like to see Shakespeare plays performed by a seasoned cast, in a traditional style, with lavish production values and without any cuts to the text...Gregory Doran (artistic director of the RSC) stages the entire cycle with liveliness, medieval flair and textual clarity, bringing out multilayered performances from his large cast, many of whom appear in multiple plays...Standouts include David Tennant’s self-loving and dangerously naive Richard." Full Review

"The productions I saw are exhilarating—played without gimmick and with an exquisitely trained company. For all the beauty of the language, the actors never let studied artifice take the place of lucidity, psychological nuance and roaring action...Tennant’s Richard finds much to admire in his androgynous self, draping his long bones, tossing his long auburn hair and making capricious, imperious decisions with a Christ-like assumption of infallibility." Full Review

“Performed in rotating repertory with a cast of 31 accomplished British actors who continue in their roles in each play in which their characters appear, the four productions all by Gregory Doran, artistic director of the RSC, are lucid, absorbing and accessible. Whether you get to see the plays in chronological order or just one of these stand-alone plays, you will have an unforgettable experience in drama, history and Shakespeare.” Full Review

"The play is packed with Shakespeare’s almost supernaturally rich and powerful language, and the RSC’s actors have a remarkably well-developed ability to convey its meaning...The large array of characters can be dizzying. Yet the story comes across magnificently…Artistically, the production is paced with breathtaking perfection and visually opulent, just right for a royal drama. Technically, it’s straightforward and remarkably smooth, sonically well balanced, operatically capacious." Full Review

"Not only does Tennant have stage presence and the Shakespearean chops to deliver the verbal brilliance of King Richard, but he fully realizes the royal who devolves from a pompous ruler to a deposed king. Tennant cuts quite a memorable figure here…You watch a rigorous tug-of-war for the crown between these two polar-opposite cousins, and witness how realpolitiks here trumps the notion of being 'God's anointed.' If you're going to only one play, make it this one." Full Review

"An absolutely superlative revival...The entire cast is excellent. Tennant powerfully holds center stage in the title role...As in many of Shakespeare's works, there are numerous scenes in 'Richard II' that can easily be played for either dramatic or comedic effect. Director Gregory Doran skillfully blends elements of both throughout this production...'Richard II' gets Shakespeare's Great Cycle of Kings off to a rousing and very impressive start." Full Review

"Doran punctuates his staging with vivid performances, mesmerizing gilded illusions, and some unfortunate heavy-handed operatic voices. It turns out he need not have had the singers emphasize through song what his compelling cast already produced – a sense of fragile humanity and the dramatic consequences of the foolhardy acts of men. It’s a vibrant and stunning production." Full Review

"Gregory Doran’s production of 'Richard II' is a thunderous start to 'King and Country'...'Richard II' is all verse, and is spoken commandingly here..Any quibbles are minor...Overall, though, Doran has created this 14th-century Shakespearean world with great precision, attending not just to Tennant’s towering performance, but to tiny moments...This 'Richard II' is curtain raiser to what promises to be a landmark visit." Full Review

"Tennant is a natural as the unnatural king. (Plus: rendering Richard as a Christ-like figure – The white robe! The 12 apostle-like subjects, every one a Judas! The platform that carries him heavenward after his death! – evokes an unexpected strain of sympathy.)...If you have 12 hours to spare, you won’t regret it one bit." Full Review