Lars Eidinger in the title role of Schaubühne Berlin’s Richard III. Photo credit: Arno Declair.
For all its wilful misrepresentations of the last Plantagenet king, who it depicts as a twisted, Machiavellian psychopath, Shakespeare’s Richard III has given us one of the greatest stage villains of all time. Witty, charismatic and utterly ruthless, Shakespeare’s hunchbacked king has inspired some truly memorable performances. But what is his appeal to contemporary audiences – and what resonance does the play have today?
