University Events Calendar
August, 2009

RICHARD II by William Shakespeare

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Date/Time: Saturday, 8 August 2009 - Saturday, 22 August 2009, 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Location: Little Theatre
Cost: $25 Full; $20 Concession; $15 Current University of Adelaide staff & students on Tue performances
More information: Visit website

"For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of Kings"

Shakespeare's Richard II is the first play in a tetralogy about the nature of kingship. In the medieval understanding there is an intimate connection between Ruler and Realm. The "king's body" is both personal and political; to make war on the King is to make war on the Country. But if the King's actions are harmful to the Country, how should the loyal patriot behave? And if the King is subdued and forced to rule for the good of others, in what sense is he still the King?

The struggle between Richard II and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (the future Henry IV) is thus more than armed conflict. It is a clash between the right of the sovereign to rule and the right of the realm to good governance. The play is also about the journey Richard makes towards self-knowledge, as his political fall opens the door to personal wisdom.

The Theatre Guild is delighted to revisit Richard II for the first time since 1969 when it presented Alan Brissenden's acclaimed production in Union Hall.

Cast includes Graham Self as Richard II, Russell Slater as Bolingbroke and John Edge as John of Gaunt.

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