Shakespeare's Richard III

Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, often cited as the basis for the King’s reputation as a scheming murderer. But what do the Bard’s history plays tell us about the period they are set in and how that era was viewed in Shakespeare’s time? Are there allusions to Elizabethan figures in Richard III that Shakespeare knew his viewers would understand?In this edition of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis heads to Stratford-upon-Avon to catch up with director Greg Doran and Arthur Hughes - the first actor with a disability to play Richard III in a major production - to talk about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of the iconic play.The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. The Producer was Rob Weinberg. It was edited by Seyi Adaobi.For more Gone Medieval content, subscribe to our Medieval Mondays newsletter here.If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.