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Title: Richard III (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Series) by David Tennant, William Shakespeare, Norman Rodway, TBA ISBN: 0-14-180010-0 Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Pub. Date: 04 May, 2000 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 2 List Price(USD): $17.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)

Rating: 4
Summary: Arkangel recording of Richard III just misses excellence
Comment: At last the "King" series on the Arkangel Shakespeare sets are complete ("Henry VIII" does not count) with the appearance of . The only competitive set is available from Harper Collins and stars a somewhat miscast Robert Stephens in the title role. When I say "miscast," I mean that his reading lacks the charm and the humor that Olivier was able to infuse into the villainy. Here on Arkangel, David Troughton fares somewhat better. But.

Perhaps after all the recent psychopathic Richards we have had, from Ian Holm in 1963 through a long line of Richards on crutches and bald, Frankenstein-lookalike Richards, Troughton's reading is something of a relief. But of course we have only the voice to go by. The play opens with a laugh of glee before the opening words; but for the rest of the first three acts that element of fun is simply not there. Richard is not enjoying himself enough for me. He does, however, come up with some original readings of his "My kingdom for a horse" utterances.

The Queen Elizabeth of Sonia Ritta is poorly done indeed. For a queen "well struck in years" and "a beauty waning and distressed widow," she sounds far too young and too modern in her defiance of Richard early in the play and her yielding to him (if that is how you interpret the second wooing scene) later on. Perhaps some more oiliness on the part of Philip Voss's Buckingham would have helped to distinguish him from the others in the cast.

The pacing of the scene with the messengers is far too slow and ends with the same adagio chamber music used more effectively earlier in the recording. This is, I believe, the only Arkangel set that plays music during a soliloquy and it works well here. The sound of horses at every opportunity grows wearisome--especially after the three Henry VI plays--and is not necessary in several instances.

Still, "Richard III" is one of Shakespeare's earliest successes that still attracts actors and audiences to this day; and this set is well worth the having and hearing.

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