Brad Fraser’s ‘Richard II’ in Stratford: knowledgeable, provocative

This updated Shakespearean tragedy is a wild, decadent ride.

Director Jillian Keiley has reset the story of a late 14th-century king of England to the disco era, complete with a dancing chorus of leather-clad angels, a shirtless wrestling match instead of a duel, and strange sex in a hot tub.

Shakespeare purists and the social conservatives are unlikely to boogie in this wonderland. They’ll miss it, though: Brad Fraser’s editing is as expert as it is provocative, and Keiley’s staging is thrilling, full of eye-catching set pieces between vibrant scenes.

Leading a stellar cast, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff gives a thrilling performance as the self-indulgent, non-stop charismatic Richard, tragically unsuited to his role as monarch.

The play closely follows Shakespeare’s conspiracy, charting Richard’s downfall as he loses control of his kingdom to his cousin and rival Henry Bolingbroke, later King Henry IV (Jordin Hall) and is betrayed by many who are close to him. stand with him. Richard understands that he was chosen by God, so his deposition has seismic effects, a move towards man-led politics and power grabs.

Keiley invited Fraser to adapt the play after reading his autobiography “All the Rage,” in which Fraser describes his experiences as an up-and-coming playwright and a proudly queer man who enjoys the decadence of the 1970s and 1980s before the AIDS. That time of exuberant sexual liberation and social change ties in well with Richard’s story.

The program notes tell us that the action takes place in New York City in the ’70s and ’80s, and this is reflected in the set, costumes, and lights. The text remains in its historical place and time, in late 14th century England, and the language remains Shakespearean with edits and additions by Fraser that, in my experience, were imperceptible (I couldn’t tell where Shakespeare ended and Fraser began ). This mixing of time and place reinforces the singularity of the performance: it is both/and, not either/or.

The action kicks off with a big dance scene and Richard is the life of the party: spinning, cocaine sniffing, showboating (the excellent club-style choreography is by Cameron Carver, with original music by Rhapsodius). Costume designer Bretta Gerecke dresses Jackman-Torkoff’s Richard in all white, reflecting the character’s self-perception as divine and untouchable. Richard’s outfits consist of platform boots, see-through pants with ribbons over swimming trunks, and tank tops, with his emblem, the white deer, slung over his crotch like a G-string. It’s all topped off by a gaudy large crown.

This emphasis on appearance complements Jackman-Torkoff’s approach to the character, which places physicality at the forefront. Slender yet muscular and very tall, Jackman-Torkoff feels and acts this Richard throughout their bodies, complementing line readings with an extravagant arm gesture or an indifferent turn of the head. When Richard returns from Ireland after an ill-advised military action, he lays down on the ground and caresses sensually, one of many brilliantly chosen gestures that express the character’s self-awareness. If the king chosen by God is Richard England, he is the country and that is why he makes love to himself in that scene.

He also makes love to others. Following the cues in Shakespeare’s text, in the production Richard is lovingly married to Queen Isabel (Hannah Wigglesworth) and has a passionate sexual relationship with his cousin Aumerle (Emilio Vieira). That relationship blossoms in a sex club scene in which a bubble bath is suggested by rolling mirrored, coffin-shaped set pieces into a square and drawing strips of opaque rubbery fabric over them, causing steam to rise (landscape design by Michael Gianfrancesco). A few choruses – a representation of Richard’s self-perception as divine, the angels rather than devils on his shoulders – rest their arms and heads languidly on the rim of the tub.

Aumerle’s scornful account of seeing Bolingbroke to his banishment is a form of seduction here, with Richard and Aumerle accurately referring to each other and Bolingbroke as “cousin” in a way that relishes the incestuous nod. The erotic interplay between the two is expertly cared for (intimacy direction by Aria Evans).

Vieira’s Aumerle travels through a mighty character arc and his playing is fantastic, from confident, proud partner to a quivering, compromised mess. Hall’s focus is razor sharp as Bolingbroke, who sticks to his principles even when challenged by the change around him. Michael Spencer-Davis, Sarah Orenstein, John Wamsley and Andrew Robinson are standouts in secondary roles, but to single them out I don’t want to detract from all the performances, which are excellent.

Keiley’s direction is unabashedly high-concept, as when a relentless battle is represented by Hotspur (Thomas Duplessie) hitting a target with a baseball bat and the angels violently falling into bright spotlights (lighting design by Leigh Ann Vardy).

Sometimes I found myself wondering if all the physical embellishments were too much – as in the repeated use of the rubber bands to depict the battle with mortality, and Richard’s return from Ireland, heralded by choir members throwing lighted batons into the spinning air like helicopter wings accompanied by Don Ellis sound design.

But this is a story of excess and its dangers, and Keiley and company have rightly gone all in. Fraser has added a subplot to suggest parallels to the AIDS crisis: courtier Willoughby (Charlie Gallant) has an unknown illness and his friend Ross (Matthew Kabwe) must decide whether to support or even touch him.

What seals the deal is how elegantly the company pronounces the verse, which contains some of Shakespeare’s finest passages. In keeping with the overall tenor of the show, we get the famous “death of kings” speech not once but twice, in the story and as an epilogue.

In a program note, assistant director Kwaku Okyere underlines the subversive nature of portraying Richard as black and queer, and expresses hope that their show will stimulate conversations about representation and power. I’m in favor: this production puts the considerable reputation and resources of the Stratford Festival at the service of challenging and renewing Shakespeare’s relevance.

Correction — June 19, 2023: This story has been updated to correct actor John Wamsley’s name.

Richard II

By William Shakespeare, adapted by Brad Fraser, conceived and directed by Jillian Keiley. Until September 28 at the Tom Patterson Theatre, 111 Lakeside Dr., Stratford. Stratfest.com or 1-800-567-1600

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