As the victorious Richmond speaks the play's final lines, Spacey's Richard is behind him, hanging from his ankles over the stage like a side of beef. It's yet another sign of how far Spacey and director Sam Mendes have gone to bring this very current-sounding Shakespeare history play to life.
Spacey's Richard is overblown and cartoonish and yet impossible to stop watching. He is part Groucho Marx and part Moammar Gadhafi — a sarcastic, snarling tornado of resentment whose reign of terror somehow is funny. Not often does Richard's line, "I wish the bastards dead," get laughs.
If Sir Ian McKellen's Richard was a smooth, icy plotter, Spacey's is an over-the-top, manic serial killer. It's almost sad to see him strung up at the end like Mussolini. Producers should really stock popcorn at the concession stands.
A review from the New Jersey News Room today (Thursday January 19, 2012) calls Spacey the "dark jewel of this crowning production", whilst the San Francisco Chronicle describes his portrayal of Richard as "part Groucho Marx and part Moammar Gadhafi," praising the veteran actor for being "impossible to stop watching." The same critic draws comparison between Spacey's performance in the role and that of the British actor Sir Ian Mckellen, saying "If Sir Ian MCKellen's Richard was a smooth, icy plotter, Spacey's is an over-the-top, manic serial killer." Entertainment Weekly's review was similarly positive, stating that Spacey's performance is "an old fashioned star turn with undeniable showmanship," though it goes on to say that "subtlety is in short supply."
The show is set to run until March 4th at the Brooklyn theatre. This current run follows a similarly acclaimed run at the Old Vic in London, where Spacey is the artistic director. Annabel Scholey is a British actress, best known for her role in the supernatural drama Being Human. She plays the role of the doomed Lady Anne.
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