Three versions of Richard III. A painting of the genuine article, Ian "Gandalf" McKellen as a 1930s fascist version of Richard. The latest incarnation of the last of the House of York kings will be Saddam Hussein.
Again from the UK Telegraph (free registration still required.)
Shakespeare's Richard III, which is most commonly dated to 1591 or 1592, charts Richard's bloody rise to power after the civil war between the royal houses of York and Lancaster. The character is portrayed as a deformed monster who is willing to murder members of his own family to get his hands on the throne of England. Much of what happens in the play is either complete fabrication or the subject of historical speculation.
The play is being produced for a new RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) festival next year that will include performances of all 37 of the Bard's plays. The new production, featuring a pan-Arab cast, will be directed by Sulayman al-Bassam, the Anglo-Kuwaiti director.
Mr al-Bassam is convinced that the play is an ideal vehicle for an exploration of Saddam's brutal reign of terror. He is, however, considering a drastic reworking of the plot.
"The RSC have given me a significant amount of freedom about how I might approach the play," he said.
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