If you were lucky enough to study Shakespeare’s Richard III at GCSE, you might have wondered ‘how would this play have been different if its creator wasn’t sucking up to the Tudors?’ Sheffield amateur dramatic group, Midland Players, are attempting to answer that with their new play, Crookback. This play, penned by local writer Christopher Walker, is a comprehensive rework of Richard III, and uses modern language and dark comedy to make it a Shakespeare production that caters to everyone.
The play is a well balanced retelling that has taken the original play to a new level. It revels in the classic stories and tales that makes Shakespearean theatre timeless – fraught romance, duplicitous rogues, rolling heads, and the odd laugh thrown in. Richard III is the archetypal Shakespearean villain, which makes reframing a more nuanced and relatable character a difficult task for those familiar with the play. Walker has done this incredibly well. Whilst Richard still schemes with dubious intent, he is more understandable – far from the original character the bard created. Each character in Crookback is hugely engaging – largely due to the updated language, which is more straightforward yet maintains the classic Shakespearean poetic feel. The play is well paced and very enjoyable, and would appeal to all ages.
There is a great atmosphere, which leaves the audience intrigued throughout. The minimal set and free-form costumes encourage the audience to focus on the writing and acting performances, allowing for the intricacies of each character to shine through with a balance of both highly charged and funny moments.
Overall, the play is an interesting and well-performed rework of a complex classic. Crookback is far more accessible and enjoyable than the traditional Richard III, telling a different but similarly complex story.Thought-provoking and entertaining, it is definitely worth seeing it while you still can!
Crookback will be performed at the Sheffield University Drama Studio for the next 3 evenings at 7:30pm through till Saturday 18th February.
Tickets are available here.
