Theatre Reviews

Abstract

Richard III, directed by Paris Erotokritou for the Main Stage of the Cyprus Theatrical Organization (THOC) in Nicosia, was fully packed on both evenings that I went to see it. The production offered a unique Shakespeare experience. Being the second longest play in the Shakespearean canon, Richard III is undoubtedly a difficult play to make accessible to an audience with no prior knowledge of Shakespeare’s language, the specific play and genre, or British history. The Cypriot audience is familiar with plays such as Othello, with four acts taking place in Cyprus, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Erotokritou’s spectacular production was ingenious and captivating, thus rising formidably to the challenge of staging Shakespeare’s history play for the first time in Cyprus. The Greek translation that was used for the production was by Nikos Hatzopoulos. The stage design for Richard III deftly brought the audience close to the characters of the play. A central aisle was constructed in the middle of the auditorium, so that the audience sat on both sides of it, and at the back of the aisle there were also several rows of seats. High walls on the stage opened and shut, in certain instances very quickly, creating a sense of urgency. At one point Richard was right in between the walls as they shut and his walking stick touched the closing wall. The use of light and shadow was particularly astute. Richard appeared in spotlight during parts of his soliloquies. The shadow of Clarence on the wall magnified his stature when his murderers arrived, functioning as an ironic contrast to the diminution he would undergo once murdered. From the outset, Richard, played by Prokopis Agathocleous, was a very remarkable presence on stage. Richard began the “Now is the winter of our discontent” speech in Greek from the back of the aisle and progressed towards the stage facing the audience. (A similar strategy was employed in