... till he be eas'd with being nothing."
It's amazing what one can find on YouTube these days.
RICHARD II, starring Derek Jacobi with John Gielgud as John of Gaunt. One of the two or three genuinely brilliant productions from the BBC's complete Shakespeare series.
EDIT: Blast, I thought they posted the whole thing on there. Here, instead of the first scene, have the last one, to contrast with the Rylance one below.
It's available on DVD, so one way or another, this is an absolute must-see. Jacobi's performance moves me to tears, especially with his "NO!!!" But my first introduction to this little-seen play came when I saw Mark Rylance's production at the Globe in London.
And why oh why oh why did I not know the BBC filmed the Globe production?!
It's only on YouTube in excerpts. Where the hell can I get a full recording?! It's not often you can have a filmed version of one of the greatest Shakespearean theatrical experiences of your life.
God, RICHARD II. I cannot imagine a Shakespeare play that could possibly be more punishing to read yet rewarding to see live (and done well). It's a whole play entirely devoid of action and filled with long, long speeches of self-pity. But what self-pity. In the hands of Jacobi and Rylance, self-pity becomes heartwrenching, saintly, even angelic, which is all the more remarkable coming from a character who started off the play as a petulant jerkass, not unlike my version of King John. Yet the more power he loses, he more dignity and grace he gains.
Man, I need to get full versions of both productions. Like, yesterday.
EDIT AGAIN: There was a TV production in 1970 of Ian McKellen as Richard?! Egad, it must be mine!
It's amazing what one can find on YouTube these days.
RICHARD II, starring Derek Jacobi with John Gielgud as John of Gaunt. One of the two or three genuinely brilliant productions from the BBC's complete Shakespeare series.
EDIT: Blast, I thought they posted the whole thing on there. Here, instead of the first scene, have the last one, to contrast with the Rylance one below.
It's available on DVD, so one way or another, this is an absolute must-see. Jacobi's performance moves me to tears, especially with his "NO!!!" But my first introduction to this little-seen play came when I saw Mark Rylance's production at the Globe in London.
And why oh why oh why did I not know the BBC filmed the Globe production?!
It's only on YouTube in excerpts. Where the hell can I get a full recording?! It's not often you can have a filmed version of one of the greatest Shakespearean theatrical experiences of your life.
God, RICHARD II. I cannot imagine a Shakespeare play that could possibly be more punishing to read yet rewarding to see live (and done well). It's a whole play entirely devoid of action and filled with long, long speeches of self-pity. But what self-pity. In the hands of Jacobi and Rylance, self-pity becomes heartwrenching, saintly, even angelic, which is all the more remarkable coming from a character who started off the play as a petulant jerkass, not unlike my version of King John. Yet the more power he loses, he more dignity and grace he gains.
Man, I need to get full versions of both productions. Like, yesterday.
EDIT AGAIN: There was a TV production in 1970 of Ian McKellen as Richard?! Egad, it must be mine!