BAm Royal Shakespeare Company

For Immediate Release The Brooklyn Academy ot Music 30 t..t.y.tte A'MK~e, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211. December 21, 1973 ttr.s Office (212) 638-4123

Royal Shakespeare Company's "Richard II" to Open at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

The American premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed production of Shakespeare's "Richard II" will launch the Brooklyn Academy of Music's British Theatre Season on Wednesday, Jim­ uary 9 at 8:30 pm. The opening night performance- a benefit for the BAM's Program Fund -will begin the RSC's exclusive three week run of "Richard I I".

The production, directed by and featuring the full Stratford RSC, has played to capacity audiences this season at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Britain. Unique- and central to Barton's interpretation of the play - is the alternation of Richard Pasco and lan Richardson in the roles of rivals, Richard and Bolingbroke. There is a long history of role-sharing in Shakespeare, dating back at least as far as 1854 when a playbill announced the doubling of Othello and Iago; however, this will be the first time alternation has been used in a production of "Richard II".

The opening night performance will feature lan Richardson as Richard. In addition to portraying roles in over 30 RSC productions, including Marat in Weiss' "Marat/Sade", he has also appeared extensively on British television. Richard Pasco (Bolingbroke for the opening night performance) is also well known to British theatre and television audiences, appearing in RSC productions ranging from Webster's "The Dutchess of Malfi", to Shaw's "Major f?arbara".

Director John Barton has devised some of the RSC's most noted anthology productions, including "Th~ Hollow Crown" (opening here in April as part of the BAM British Theatre Season) . He has also directed many RSC productions including "The Tempest", "T'Nelfth Night", and "When Thou Art King".

In addition to "Richard II" the RSC will also present (opening January 15 at 8:30 pm) "Sylvia Plath", a dramatization of Plath's works including her one act play "Three Women". Also upcoming are "The Hollow Crown" and "Pleasure and Repentance", two noted RSC anthology productions (opening in April) . The British Theatre Season will also feature three plays by the Actors Company, as well as three productions by the Young Vic.

Tickets for all productions are avajJable at the BAM Box Office, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217, A&S, Bloomingdales, and Ticketron. Prices range from $8.50 to $3.50 depending upon production and date selected. Special discounts are available for groups and benefits.

-30-

For further information contact: Charles Ziff or Nigel Redden (636-4123)