CONTEMPORARY ARTS
THEATRE
The Tragedy of King Richard III. By William Shakespeare. (Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.) The Tragedy of King Richard III. By William Shakespeare. (Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.) LAUGHTONESQUE iS perhaps the word for Mr. Marius Goring's approach to the part of Richard III, and he gives us a study in the macabre which is always interesting though never quite compelling. Outwardly the accent is on deformity and a club foot, a withered hand, a crooked shoulder; the pale, neurotic, rather soft face is framed in long red hair. The mind is equally misshapen; the defect of Mr. Goring's merits is that we are aware too much of tortuosity, and not enough of the sheer drive of Gloucester's villainy. His robust and shameless glee is missing, or rather is sublimated to a sort of pathological complacency. In fine, this waspish monster, though drawn with great subtlety and perception, is a bit of a lightweight. But Mr. Goring gives a skilful, and in many ways a memorable, performance.
Mr. Harry Andrews is an actor' to whom authority comes easily, and in his admirable Buckingham we recognise clearly the qualities of gusto and command which are lacking in Mr. Goring's Richard; it would be interesting, one day, to see the parts exchanged. Mr. Michael Warre's Clarence, Mr. Tony Britton's Hastings and Mr. Basil Hoskins's Richmond are all well done ; and the voluminous lamentations of the ladies, billowing drearily like washing on a clothes-line, are handled with accomplishment by Mesdames Mitchell, Kemrison,-Sanderson and Boyd. Motley's scenery and costumes are excellent and—once it has got under way after a slow start—no Praise-can be too high for Mr. Glen Byam Shaw's production.
.Workmanlike in essentials, it is given depth and life by many small touches which enrich the picture without obtruding themselves. It was, for instance, a good idea to bring Jane Shore out of her various niches in the text and make us aware of her, just off stage, Wantoning with Hastings in the small barns; and Tyrrel's nature is more quickly apprehended by letting us see that he knows in advance of the grim task for which his services are required.
PETER FLEMING.
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