RICHARD III An Arab Tragedy, till February 17

RICHARD III, An Arab Tragedy, Adapted from William Shakespeare
The Culture Project (Kuwait) and Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre
RSC: Part of the Complete Works Festival
Swan Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon
Runs: 1h 55m, no interval, till 17 February
Review: Rod Dungate, 13 February 2007

Not comfortable but important
As with many of the other plays from very different cultures we’ve seen in the Complete Works Festival, this Kuwait based production offers its own revelations. Not as spectacularly, perhaps, as the Japanese Titus for instance, but equally as memorably and with more immediacy.

The play is much shortened (just less than two hours with no interval) and cleverly transferred to its Eastern setting. The warring families of York and Lancaster become warring tribes, Richard III is transformed breathtakingly to a Saddam Hussein figure. They all wear Arab dress – except Richard at the opening who’s in army uniform, and characters like Buckingham, Westernised in grey suit.

And it is America who comes to the rescue at the end; yes, I am using rescue ironically. The play concludes with a chilling juxtaposition of sounds an images – weeping women, prayer, American officer wishing the country well with its burgeoning democracy, a roll call of the war dead, and the dead Richard still on his horse, statue-like in the centre of the acting space. This is powerful, political theatre.

Actors in the theatre are live flesh and blood and you can’t help feeling ‘these people are speaking directly to you, face to face, about their view of our present conflict.’ Not comfortable watching, but important watching.

Fayez Kazak is an amazingly jaunty Richard, charming, urbane, specially at the opening; his transformation into power-crazed dictator is sudden and frightening. Raymond Hosni is a powerfully understated Buckingham. The women are strong - Carole Abhoud’s Elizabeth and Amal Omaran’s Margaret. Somehow the women’s curses inform the play more strongly in this new cultural setting.

Sulayman Al-Bassani directs with a sure hand, keeping up the speed and tension. In his adaptation there is welcome humour too. Richard’s pretence of refusing the crown is hilarious, a pseudo television interview, interrupted by his assistant ‘I’ve got the Secretary General of the UN on the phone for you . . . ‘ Apparently many states wish to support this tyrant into power. Now where have I heard that one before . . . ?

Queen Elizabeth: Carole Abhoud
Emir Grey/ Ratcliffe: Bashar Abdullah
Emir Rivers: Faisal Al Ameeri
Ambassador: Sulayman Al-Bassam
Minister of State Hastings/ Lord Mayor: Nicolas Daniel
King Edward IV/ Catesby: Monadhil Daood
General Richmond: Christopher Harvey
Palace Advisor Buckingham: Raymond Hosni
Lady Anne/ Mistress Shore: Nadine Joma’a
Maid: Maritez Julapang
Emir Gloucester, King Richard III: Fayez Kazak
Emir Clarence/ Stanley: Jassim Al-Nabhan
Queen Margaret/ Crown Prince Edward: Amal Omran

Adapted and Directed by: Sulayman Al-Bassam
Arabic Translation: Mehdi Al-Sayigh
Producer: Georgina Van Welie
Designer: George Tomlinson
Lighting Designer: Richard Williamson
Costume Designer: Abdulla Al Awadi
Original Music and Sound Design: Lewis Gibson
Assistant Directors: Sandra Al-Saleh, Faisal Al Ameeri

2007-02-14 17:51:53