![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/crookback-poster-jpg.webp)
Show: Crookback – Shakespeare’s Richard III rebooted
Society: Midland Players
Venue: University of Sheffield Drama Studio
Credits: Christopher M Walker
Type: Sardines
Author: Joanne Thornewell
Performance Date: 15/02/2023
Crookback – Shakespeare’s Richard III rebooted
Joanne Thornewell | 16 Feb 2023 10:47am
William Shakespeare presented Richard III as a hunchbackeded evil schemer, prepared to do anything to become king – including murdering his own brothers and nephews. For Shakespeare, presenting Richard this way made absolute political sense. His patron, Elizabeth I, was a descendant of Richard’s enemies. It was definitely not in Shakespeare’s interests neither as a playwright nor a businessman to offend her.
But we now know more about Richard III. His remains were found in a Leicester car park in 2012 and his scoliosis was far less severe than Shakespeare would have us believe. Even today, historians are divided over the fate of the princes in the tower and many believe there is insufficient evidence to condemn Richard.
So if Shakespeare were writing today, Richard III’s story might be very different. This is the idea which intrigued Christopher M Walker the author and director of Crookback – Shakespeare’s Richard III rebooted. The world premiere of his play is being performed by the accomplished Midland Players from 15 – 18 February at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio.
Walker remains faithful to Shakespeare’s dramatic style and writes as Shakespeare did, in iambic pentameter. Like Shakespeare there are several soliloquys to give the audience insight into Richard’s true intentions. The style and tone really does feel familiar to the Shakespeare student and the similarities between this play and Shakespeare’s Richard III are unsurprisingly apparent. It is a very impressive achievement.
The play opens with Richard III, then the Duke of Gloucester, with no noticeable hump, informing the audience of his ambition and his deformity. Richard is played by Matt Da Gama who does well to deliver such a hefty role with conviction. This is very engaging performance and he commands the audience’s attention whenever he is on stage. It’s clear Walker wants to minimise the deformity Shakespeare exaggerated, but Da Gama’s appearance and his dialogue were a little incongruous. He does not appear deformed and yet refers to his abnormality of frame.
Elliott Dale-Hughes shines as Buckingham, Richard’s erstwhile right-hand man who realises that while Richard prizes loyalty in others, did not see the need to reciprocate. He plays the role exceptionally well, capturing the nuance of the manipulator.
Nicky Hindmarch convinces as Edward IV’s Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Her acid disdain of Richard is palpable and her scenes with him are electric.
Alex Sloane as the doomed Duke of Clarence also performs his part well. Lily Hall and Ana Baster as the sons of Edward IV, the princes in the tower are both impressive, convincing as royal boys and delivering some quite complex dialogue very well.
The quality of the other actors varies, some are competent, some are a bit patchy. Most play several roles and the audience is never confused by this. There does not appear to be any radio microphones and it is to the credit of the entire cast that all the dialogue is audible and clear. In Shakespeare’s day men played women, here women play men – an accommodation for amateur theatre having far more women available than men and one which this reviewer applauds.
The costumes are eclectic – some are modern dress, Richard often wears a white dinner jacket. Buckingham is a hippy. Clarence is dressed foppishy in a flouncy white shirt. The Queen has a long dress and a velvet gown. The costumes do not detract from the play, but if there is a the reason for the diversity, it is not apparent.
Overall the play delivers, it is engaging and keeps the audience’s attention. The empty set sometimes feels a little too empty and more use could possibly be made of the raised rear of the stage which is hidden behind curtains most of the time. Effective use is made of the auditorium balcony in one scene and more of this variety would be welcome.
Some of the scenes are a little unconvincing, the sudden condemnation of Hastings (played well by Joe Otton) feels rushed and the appearance of his decapitated head has some audience members sniggering.
If the play is trying to present Richard in a more sympathetic light, the jury is still out. This Richard seemed to be just as scheming and murderous as Shakespeare’s. As for the princes in the tower? As their mother said, if Richard didn’t do it personally it was still his doing.
Well done to this amateur group for tackling such a difficult project this competently. It was an enjoyable and engaging evening of theatre.