Antic Disposition presents: Richard III

This summer, award-winning theatre company Antic Disposition present a thrilling new production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, which will be staged in six of England’s most historic cathedrals and London’s ancient Temple Church.

Joining Antic Disposition for the first time, Toby Manley (Alice’s Adventures Underground; Look Left Look Right’s The Caravan; Early Days at the Finborough) will take on the principal role of Richard III in this darkly comic drama. The cast also includes Antic Disposition regulars Chris Courtenay, William de Coverly, Alex Hooper, Charles Neville, Jill Stanford, Louise Templeton and Bryony Tebbutt, alongside company newcomers Joe Eyre, Robert Nairne and Jess Nesling.

The tour will include two special performances in Leicester Cathedral – the first production of Richard III to be performed in the building since the king’s remains were discovered buried under a nearby car park and reinterred in the Cathedral in 2015. Antic Disposition’s Richard III also visits Ely, Peterborough, Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury Cathedrals.

The Wars of the Roses are over and King Edward IV rules England. But his brother, Richard, is in no mood to celebrate. With murder, deceit and dark humour as his weapons, Richard overcomes friends and foes alike to seize the crown. But as the body count rises, he soon learns that a throne founded on blood offers little security.

Richard III concludes at Temple Church in London for a run of fifteen performances. Located in the secluded and tranquil heart of London’s legal quarter between Fleet Street and the River Thames, Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th Century and is one of London’s most beautiful and historic buildings. Known for its unusual circular design, Temple Church recently gained fame as a key location in Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code.

Award-winning theatre company Antic Disposition, founded by director Ben Horslen and director/designer John Risebero, is best known for presenting innovative and visually striking productions of classic plays and stories in spectacular historic buildings. Past productions include A Christmas Carol in Middle Temple Hall, The Comedy of Errors in Gray’s Inn Hall and Henry V, which recently toured twelve UK cathedrals marking the centenary of the First World War and Shakespeare400.