Constant Lark present Richard II by William Shakespeare

POWER, GREED AND BETRAYAL: SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD II COMES TO THE HORSEBRIDGE WHITSTABLE.

The Constant Lark theatre group are delighted to bring the emotional rollercoaster that is Shakespeare’s Richard II to The Horsebridge.

Possibly one of Shakespeare’s most underrated plays, it is primarily about kings and the people who betray them, but there is there is much more to it than that, including surprisingly contemporary themes. Richard II is someone who has been told one thing his entire life and when that reality is stripped from him, his crisis is one of identity. Something  that we all grapple with these days. 

Brendan Roberts, actor and founding Director of the Constant Lark Theatre group, and who  plays King Richard in the production, said: “Richard II has been one of my favourite plays for a while. I think in terms of Shakespeare it’s incredibly underrated. We always talk about how Shakespeare was great at getting to the crux of our emotions, but few plays are the emotional rollercoaster that this one is. It’s also surprisingly silly and that is something we love at Constant Lark.

“It always seems to me to be a play that draws people in. I think this is  due to the compelling nature of the story. Richard is a bit of a villain at the start of the play but we end-up sympathising with him and it’s really interesting how that shift happens to an audience. It really is a vehicle for empathy,” said Brendan Roberts.

Constant Lark’s version of Richard II promises to be an explosive experience. They perform  Shakespeare’s plays with a small cast who play multiple roles. They are taking a creative approach to the performance space and will perform this version in traverse with the audience sitting on either side of the stage, like a catwalk. The audience will be truly immersed in the action of the play. The play will be directed by Lars Harald Magaaro.

Discounted tickets if you are Friend of the Horsebridge.

About Constant Lark: 

We are Constant Lark, a new theatre company based in the south-east, creating theatre that goes beyond expectation to entertain, engage and educate. 

Our goal is to connect audiences young and old to classical theatre and fresh ideas through bold new writing. Our work looks to bring young people into creative worlds for the first time whilst inspiring those who have always had a passion for the theatre.

We believe in the power of community, bringing shows to community spaces as well as established theatres venues and schools to create work that reflects the spaces we inhabit. 

The company is run by actor and director Brendan Roberts. Brendan studied acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and since then has been involved in musicals, site specific performance and plays in London and the southeast including classical theatre and new writing.

In the coming months Constant Lark will not only bring performances but also educational acting workshops for adults and young people to get involved with. 

A small but mighty company, here to make big waves in UK Theatre. 

For all updates follow constant lark on instagram @constant_lark