THEATRE REVIEW: Drag King Richard III, Riverside Studios, London

<p>STANCE Theatre's highly acclaimed production drags Shakespeare's Richard III into a black comedy exploration of transgender identity.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/ChrisBridges">by Chris Bridges</a> | 1st August 2014</p><p>★★★★</p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4612592684.jpg" width="460" height="307" alt="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith" title="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith"/></p> <p></p><p>For Laurie, born biologically female, the frustration of living in the wrong body presents disturbing consequences with long-term lesbian friend, La Femme. She identifies with Shakespeare’s deformed anti-hero after auditioning to play him in a school production; seeing parallels with the betrayal she feels within, her from her own body and the play is interspersed with clever interpretations of Shakespearean dialogue that fit perfectly within the context of Laurie/Laurence’s story. </p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4612592685.jpg" width="460" height="307" alt="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith" title="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith"/></p> <p></p><p>When Laurence re-enters La Femme’s life after a spell away in the army, she reveals that she’s transitioning. La Femme struggles to understand this, initially and the issue brings into perspective her own thoughts and feelings about gender identity, how others perceive and react to you and what it means to be you. </p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4612592681.jpg" width="460" height="307" alt="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith" title="Drag King Richard III Photo: Jamie Scott-Smith"/></p> <p></p><p>I wasn’t sure what to expect from this performance but I definitely got more than I bargained for. Terri Power’s award winning piece is a funny, deftly written play with some genuinely moving moments. The themes of identity are universal and not just applicable to <a href="http://thegayuk.com/magazine/4574334751/tags/Trans">transgender</a> people. Laurie’s story is a fascinating one and one that shouldn’t feel too difficult for anyone to grasp, thanks to Power’s concise yet powerful play. The conceit of the two handed perspective and the humorous touches worked brilliantly. This is much more than a straightforward ‘issues’ play. Well worth seeing with very strong performances from the two leads. </p><p></p><p>Drag King Richard III runs until 3rd of August 2014</p><p></p><p>Buy tickets here:</p><p><a href="https://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/online/performances.php?eventId=1111:3713">https://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/online/performances.php?eventId=1111:3713</a></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/Theatre">Read more theatre news, reviews and interviews</a></p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p> </p>