A study of the theatrical fortunes of Richard II from its politically controversial beginnings on the Elizabethan and Restoration stage, to its later interpretations which responded to nineteenth and twentieth century tastes and attitudes. The volume is part of the SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE series.

Considers the theatrical fortunes of "Richard II" from its politically controversial beginnings on the Elizabethan and Restoration stage, to its various later interpretations responding to 19th- and 20th-century tastes and attitudes. A wide range of performances is documented and discussed. These illustrate the ways in which different theatres and companies have staged the play by cutting, restructuring or adding to Shakepeare's script to highlight spectacle, the personality of the King, the nature of authority and the place of Richard in the overall sweep of English history. The text also studies "Richard II" in relation to the politics and aesthetics of post-World War II Europe, with particular attention being given to productions by Jean Vilar, Giorgio Strehler and Ariane Mnouchkine.

Part 1 "Dangerous matter" - Shakepeare's "Richard II" - its structure and context. Part 2 "Richard II" on stage and television, 1857-1987. Part 3 "Richard II" in other cultural contexts. Afterword: a "Richard II" for the 1990s.