Shakespeare's Richard II will be part of the repertoire of the Yugoslav Drama Theater from April 4, when the premiere performance is scheduled. Director Richard the Second je Boris Liješević.
They play Milan Maric, Vojin Ćetković, Igor Samobor, Aleksandar Đurica, Anđelika Simić, Sanja Marković, Aleksej Bjelogrlić and Danilo Milovanović.
Photo: Jovo MarjanovićRichard II Ensemble
Time of tyranny
Announcing the play to journalists, Liješević said that it is a play about one of the most tragic English kings, who came to the throne at the age of 10 and ruled at 22. In the play, Shakespeare dealt with the events of the last two or three years of Richard's reign, when he entered into tyranny. His unscrupulousness, mistakes, and a new tax cause a revolt of the nobles, the aristocracy, and even the people.
Photo: Jovo MarjanovićVojin Ćetković in "Richard the Second"
Shakespeare has a play for every time, Liješević says, and that is why he is said to be our contemporary.
"We hope that we have found a piece that communicates with our time, the events around us and that maybe some answers are hidden in it," said Liješević.
Struggle for power
In the director's note, Liješević wrote that Shakespeare in to Richard the Second speaks "about the people who always shout the same, hate, hope, welcome a new ruler, and send the old one away with hatred and always realize too late that he did not react when he should have but let evil take root, about a departing ruler who has a hard time parting with power and in the disaster he survives he regains humane features and becomes a man. In his suffering he also knows how to seduce us and we forgive him when we are confronted with the hitherto hidden tyranny and arrogance of the new The ruler is always the ruler and never close to the people. In order to stay in power, the ruler must distance himself from the people, to relativize the notion of truth and empathy."
Photo: Jovo MaksimovićSanja Marković and Milan Marić in "Ričard the Second"
That's why, says Liješević, "the play does not cheer for one or the other, but confronts us with the futility of cheering and trusting in the rulers and their humanity. Because everything in their lives and mandates is just a struggle to reflect on the government, to serve the crown".
Shakespeare in to Richard the Second delves into the depths of the human soul that "changes due to the catastrophe of the loss of power, authority and identity. Shakespeare showed us all the forms of government, all the matrices and showed us how each of them ends", and that was what attracted him to do this play right now.
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