REVIEW: Propeller’s Richard III at The Watermill- Not for the Faint Hearted

With Tarrantino-esque violence and a Richard who alternately draws you in and horrifies you, Propeller’s production of Richard III at The Watermill is everything it should be.

For years I have been hearing wonderful things about Propeller, but as a female actor who loves performing Shakespeare part of me was loath to believe the hype. Edward Hall’s all male company with their dark, atmospheric performance of Richard did not disappoint.

In their treatment of one of Shakespeare’s most compelling and corpse littered plays Propeller didn’t shy away from the bloodiness. In fact more appropriate sponsors for this production would have been Black & Decker or Bosch. That said the humour that already exists in the text was put to excellent use, particularly in the Murderers scene.

This humour gives both the play itself and this production a perfect balance, preventing it from becoming a complete gore fest. Richard’s immaculately timed casual shrugs and “ppfff”s were the icing on the cake.

I last saw Richard Clothier as Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Salisbury and he brought a contrasting, but equally essential charm to the role of Richard. As he ordered and committed murders in a shockingly blasé manner you could not help but be drawn to him.

In a play with such wonderfully strong, emotional female roles I would probably still have preferred to see women playing women, but this is what Propeller do and they certainly do it well. Dominic Tighe and Tony Bell gave especially truthful performances as Queens Elizabeth and Margaret respectively.

Sam Swainsbury and Richard Frame breathed life in to the puppets of the two young princes- a device which worked well. As Clarence, John Dougall’s horror as he realised his brother had betrayed him was almost as chilling as the death it preceded.

There were no weak links in this cast. They worked together seamlessly, from the practically unnoticeable multi-role playing, to the songs and other vocal work which ranged from haunting to snigger inducing. The set was simple but effective, and the excellently conceived body bag props felt like a collective 15th cast member by the end of the show.

The verdict following my first Propeller experience? Do believe the hype.

Photo: Manuel Harlan.