A riveting Richard III

Who wouldn't want to see a play about a vicious, disfigured sexual deviant who kills his way to the crown? Besides the fact that Richard III is Shakespeare's second-longest play, it is also a tale of lies and betrayal - with a whole lot of killing on the side.

The third play from the Shakespeare in Washington 2006-2007 season, Richard III runs through March 18 at the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington. Thanks to Geraint Wyn Davies' portrayal of Richard, the play is a must-see - a standout in a sea of amazing performances that make up the Shakespeare in Washington festival.

Let's face it, Richard (Wyn Davies) is not an attractive fellow. With an awful facial scar, a shriveled left arm and a glaring limp - all combined with a disturbingly twisted mind - he is not a man to be liked. On top of that, consider the fact that he, without any qualms, kills a large number of people, including his own brother George, Duke of Clarence (Andrew Long) and his young doting nephews, Edward, Prince of Wales (Matthew Williams) and Richard, Duke of York (Kent Jenkins). So how do you like a protagonist who is so very unlikable?

The simple answer? You don't. Or at least, you're not supposed to.

But Wyn Davies takes on the challenge of playing a disfigured murderer hell-bent on getting the crown, and he does it well. He delivers a certain charm during his disturbingly lighthearted performance and makes an otherwise despicable character tolerable.

Under Michael Kahn's direction, Richard III overcomes many of the difficulties that come with Shakespearean plays - although Richard lags at times, it is not unexpected with a play that runs more than three hours. Nevertheless, Kahn brings out much of Shakespeare's hidden humor and irony while artistically unraveling Richard's very complex tale.

As the play opens with a scene of housekeepers cleaning blood off the walls, Kahn expertly connects Richard III with the end of another Shakespeare play, Henry VI. With the adornment of the new king, Edward IV (Floyd King), Kahn's powerful version begins.

Richard, with the help of the Duke of Buckingham (Edward Gero), plots against all those he perceives to be in his way, killing and manipulating without mercy until the crown rests on his own misshapen head.

Richard's unsettling actions are mirrored by the set, which was designed by Lee Savage. The heavily industrial, multi-tiered set is completely slanted, giving the stage a prison-like feel and trapping the audience in the dungeon of Richard's twisted mind. A steady fog, combined with dramatic lighting designed by Charlie Morrison, completes the eerie scene.

Perhaps the best scenes are the very last, bringing the building tension to a climax. Richard and his opposition, Henry Tudor (David Gross), are visited by the ghosts of those Richard has killed, and with fight choreography by David Leong intertwined with a perfect balance of light and smoke, the battle at Bosworth Field is a scene that demands to be remembered.

Be warned - Richard III is not for the lighthearted. On top of having to keep up with the complex and ever-changing plot, the quickly delivered Elizabethan tongue was almost overwhelming at times. Unfamiliar with England's monarchial past? You will be left in the dust. But if you read up on the story before you see it, you'll surely be entertained.

Contact reporter Doris Nhan at dnhan@umd.edu.