“For Heaven’s sake let us sit upon this ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings”
Richard II is a story of power, betrayal, and political collapse. Set against the turmoil of 1970s England, this new telling from Get a Proper Job Theatre Company explores the fragility of leadership and the cost of inherited authority in a nation on the brink of change. This production foregrounds the tension between public image and private self. Power is treated as something performed, maintained through language, ritual, and appearance, rather than force. As that performance falters, the space between who Richard is and who he claims to be grows ever wider. The production’s aesthetic reflects this instability, using design and sound to create a world that feels both heightened and precarious. By reimagining Shakespeare’s tragedy through the lens of 1970s England, this production invites audiences to reflect on leadership, legitimacy, and the human cost of political collapse. These are the sad stories of the death of kings, but also a warning about the fragile foundations on which power is built.
Adapted and directed by Duncan Hoare
Cast:
King Richard II: Sara Casanova
Henry Bolingbroke: Leo Gordon
Joan of Gaunt / Duchess of York: Ffion Austin
Duke of York: Sophie Belle
Duke of Aumerle: Jenson-Stephens Richards
Duchess of Gloucester / Ensemble: Zoe Duffy
Duke of Northumberland / Ensemble: Sarah Maddams
Henry Percy / Ensemble: Kira Bowers
Sir Stephen Scroop / Ensemble: Gilraen
Queen Isabella / Ensemble: Rebecca Briscoe
Greenwich Theatre, 24th – 25th September
Booking and full details: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/richard-ii/
