From the moment you are handed your programme at the Bridewell Theatre you are immersed in the world of SEDOS’s
If Shakespeare had written House of Cards
Richard Gloucester (Sam Sugarman) is an ambitious politician in a failing Conservative cabinet. The director seeks to draw explicit parallels between the collapse of Theresa May’s government and the rise of the charismatic figure Boris Johnson. Sugarman’s Richard, with the help of Buckingham (Audrey Lindsay) brings down the incumbent Theresa May stand in played with stately composure by Elizabeth Elstub. The political assassinations are ramped up as they move from your classic drugs and sex scandals to reshuffling to Richard taking more extreme measures. As his hold on power starts to unravel the media landscape that made him will also be his undoing.
The stars of this show are the impressive technical feats that the Creative Technical Director Adrian Jeakins has managed to pull off. A camera broadcasts live to the news screens above the stage, a wide LED screen at the back of the stage has breaking news stories scrolling by. A news studio hidden away from the audience is used effectively. The election swing-o-meter is a highlight as it bathes the stage initially in blue and increasingly in red as Richard’s fate is sealed. The pre-recorded elements are well shot and directed by Dan Edge and for the most part mix seamlessly into the narrative of the show. The reframing of assassination as political scandal is another lovely touch. This is most effective in the first scandal scene where the two ‘murderers’ (Liam Wells and Livvy Perrett) set up Clarence (Elliot Archer) to be photographed with a bag of cocaine and a prostitute. Both murderers give lively and funny performances to lighten some of the darker moments. The first half belongs to Audrey Lindsay’s Buckingham whose slimy politicking is essential in installing Richard to the throne. Certainly, the Conservative government could have used a spin doctor of her skill.
Sam Sugarman’s Richard is effective too in his sliminess, especially with the female characters he interacts with. The performance never quite achieved the level of superficial charm that is needed to win the audience on side to his evil plots and there is an absence of buffoonish charm that elevated a figure like Johnson to the highest office in the land. At times the screens distract from the action and the sound design is a little lacking which led to some clunky transitions. More could have been done to enhance the tone of the play with a more effective soundscape or use of news-theme music. The one significant use of music was the song ‘Creep’ by Radiohead as the election shifted on a knife edge. The song felt tonally awkward especially given that the physical deformity alluded to in the text is (understandably) absent from Richard’s character.
Overall this is a striking and bold reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s most enduring histories. The technical elements were as effective as they were ambitious and the performances were mostly impressive. The modern political parallels were well drawn and as Richmond arrives on a wave of red support at the climax of the play it would seem that she is the Starmer stand-in. A harrowing thought.
