A night at the theatre

After a period of thinking I was going to miss out, my friend Elena managed to get a couple of tickets to Richard III for last night. I had super high expectations as the reviews I had seen for this Sam Mendes production were uniformly excellent.

It was the first time I have seen a production at the Esplanade Theatre and I was really impressed. It has wonderful acoustics, comfortable seats and great views from every seat. I knew it would be chilly and was very glad for my long sleeves.

We were warned by signs and the ushers that the first act was about two hours long. It certainly did not feel like it! The set was quite simple and costuming 20th century. The supporting cast were uniformly good with special mention to Chuk Iwuji who was remarkable as Buckingham.

Kevin Spacey was simply wonderful in this role. He was a pleasure to watch. 

He was believable as a crippled, spiteful man with no conscience. I imagine walking with the twisted leg and brace must be fairly draining night after night.

If you have the opportunity to watch this play do not hesitate. It is three and a half hours long including intermission but it felt much less. 

I am definitely going to make the effort to go to more theatre. I had forgotten how much I enjoy it.