KDC Theatre – Central London based amateur theatre group

Tuesday 9th – Saturday 13th April

Richard is Shakespeare’s most charismatic, self-delighting villain, revelling at every moment in his homicidal, hypocritical journey to absolute power.

1. Auditions

Auditions will take place from 6.30pm for a 7pm start on 21st, 22nd and 23rd January 2013 at the St Brides Foundation, 14 Bride Lane, City of London, EC4Y 8EQ. You do not need to register for auditions or prepare anything in advance. Please come on whichever day suits you.
Recalls will be on Sunday 27th January from 10am to 2pm and you will be told the venue if you are recalled. If we’d like to see you at the recalls we’ll call you on Thursday 24th January to let you know.

2. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 9th to Saturday 13th April at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand.

3. Synopsis

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is determined that she should wear the crown of England. She has already dispatched one king and that king’s son; now all that stand in her way are two credulous brothers and two helpless nephews, the Princes in the Tower. And woe betide those – the women she wrongs, the henchmen she betrays – who dare to raise a voice against her.
Monstrous, but theatrically electric, Richard is Shakespeare’s most charismatic, self-delighting villain, revelling at every moment in his homicidal, hypocritical journey to absolute power. This production will bring the story into the present day with a focus on modern politics and re-imaging the role of Richard as a woman.

The play has been edited down into a swift 2 hours and amalgamating a number of the characters to offer the whole cast plenty of text and character to contend with. We are looking for dynamic actors who are keen to be part of a physical ensemble and explore Shakespeare’s language fully.

4. Cast

Richard (F)
A real challenge, deformed in body and twisted in mind, Richard is both the central character and the villain of the play. he is evil, corrupt, sadistic, and manipulative, and he will stop at nothing to become king. His intelligence, political brilliance, and dazzling use of language keep the audience fascinated and his subjects and rivals under his thumb. We are looking for someone who is able to learn the lines quickly and tackle this head on. It is a huge, difficult part and the person has to be willing to throw themselves in wholeheartedly and not be afraid to look deeply unattractive!

Buckingham (M)
Richard’s right-hand man in his schemes to gain power. The duke of Buckingham is almost as amoral and ambitious as Richard himself. Someone wise and scheming but perhaps not as overt as Richard.

Clarence/Henry Tudor (M)
The gentle, trusting brother born between Edward and Richard in the York family. Also playing Richmond who eventually takes Richards crown. Looking for someone with the ability to create two very distinct characters.

Lady Anne (F)
The beautiful young widow of Prince Edward, who was the son of the former king, Henry VI. Lady Anne hates Richard for the death of her husband, but for reasons of politics and for sadistic pleasure, Richard persuades Anne to marry him.

Elizabeth/Richard Duke of York (F)
The wife of King Edward IV and the mother of the two young princes (the heirs to the throne) and their older sister, young Elizabeth. After Edward’s death, Queen Elizabeth  is at Richard’s mercy. Richard rightly views her as an enemy because she opposes his rise to power, and because she is intelligent and fairly strong-willed. Also to play the Duke of York (Prince)

Duchess/Edward Prince of Wales (F)
Widowed mother of Richard, Clarence, and King Edward IV. The duchess of York is Elizabeth’s mother-in-law, and she is very protective of Elizabeth and her children, who are the duchess’s grandchildren. She is angry with, and eventually curses, Richard for his heinous actions. Also to play Edward (Prince)

Margaret (F)
Margaret was the wife of the king before Edward, the Lancastrian Henry VI, who was subsequently deposed and murdered (along with their children) by the family of King Edward IV and Richard. She is embittered and hates both Richard and the people he is trying to get rid of, all of whom were complicit in the destruction of the Lancasters. A small but brilliant part.

Hastings/Norfolk (M)
A pompous sweaty lord who maintains his integrity, remaining loyal to the family of King Edward IV. Hastings loses his head for making the mistake of trusting Richard. Also Norfolk who is an ally of Richards at the end of the play.

Edward /Stanley /Lord Mayor (M)
Edward is king of England at the start of the play. He was deeply involved in the Yorkists’ brutal overthrow of the Lancaster regime, but as king he is devoted to achieving a reconciliation among the various political factions of his reign. He is unaware that Richard attempts to thwart him at every turn. Stanley is the stepfather of Richmond, he secretly helps Richmond, although he cannot escape Richard’s watchful gaze and the Mayor is a gullible and suggestible fellow who is in one scene. We are looking for a versatile older actor.

Catesby (F)
One of Richards main flunkies. A number of parts have been rolled into Catesby to make this a real challenge. In this production Catesby is a devoted PA to Richard. Devil wears Prada style but perhaps a little sickly and strange.

1st Murderer/Scrivener (M)
The murderers take on a number of roles (Brakenbury, Rivers, Grey, Messengers, Scrivener, Ratcliff, Tyrell etc) The 1st murderer is the tougher more knowing of the two. These roles are pretty constant throughout the play and offer a chance to develop and discover a fascinating character.

2nd Murderer/Tyrell (M)
The murderers take on a number of roles (Brakenbury, Rivers, Grey, Messengers, Scrivener, Ratcliff, Tyrell etc) The 2nd murderer is the less experienced younger of the two who struggles to kill Clarence and is eventually responsible for the death of the Princes. This role has some fantastic speeches throughout the play. These roles are pretty constant throughout and offer a chance to develop and discover a fascinating character.