William Shakespeare’s Play: Richard III

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Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Guy Roberts
Group: Prague Shakespeare Company, Czech Republic
Language: English
Duration: 2 hrs 50 mins

The Play
Shakespeare’s conclusion to his epic Wars of the Roses chronicles, Richard III is a riveting portrayal of the politics of power, both personal and political, at their most devious and bloody. Deformed in body and spirit, this depraved madman is obsessed with becoming King of England. Does he fall? Of course, but not before he has taken all of us on his wickedly entertaining ride. Jealous and crippled, Richard of Gloucester murders his brothers, nephews, and any opposition to become King Richard III. In the end, Henry of Richmond raises an army, kills Richard in battle, and becomes King Henry VII.

Director’s Note
Like Richard eating away at anyone in his path, the play Richard III gnaws on our global consciousness. It is a story that plays out time and time again, and, if anything, has become even more relevant now, over four hundred years after it was written, with corrupt leaders doing absolutely anything to achieve and maintain power. I am excited to present a new production of this timely play supported by the exciting and dynamic multi-national artists we have assembled for this special event. PSC is continental Europe’s only professional English-language Shakespeare company, employing artists from across Europe, Asia and North America, by bringing together a group of artists from many different cultural sensibilities. We are able to come together, united by the words of William Shakespeare, as we explore the deep resonances this play brings out concerning national identity, politicians, corruption, honor, duty and the extreme measures, people – both good and bad, will push themselves to in their ambitious climb to the heights of power.

The Director
Guy Roberts is the Founding Artistic Director of Prague Shakespeare Company (PSC). Guy won the 2018 Best Actor Houston Theatre Award for his performance of the Poet in An Iliad. Guy has been awarded the TG Masaryk Medal of Honor from the Masaryk Democratic Movement in recognition for his work promoting arts and artistic freedom, and the inaugural Sidney Berger Award from the Shakespeare Theatre Association in recognition of his outstanding talent and dedication to the works of William Shakespeare. His award-winning work as actor, director and producer has been seen in over 200 productions in the US, Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, India, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Qatar and Egypt and has been honored with multiple awards and over 100 US theatre award-nominations for Best Actor, Director and Production.

The Playwright
William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems.

The Group
Based in Prague, Czech Republic, the award-winning Prague Shakespeare Company presents professional theatre productions, workshops, and other theatrical events of the highest quality, conducted primarily in English by a multinational ensemble of professional theatre artists, with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare. Celebrating its 12th year, PSC has entertained, enriched, enlightened and inspired students and audiences not only in the Czech Republic but in India, United States, Hungary, France, Egypt, Qatar, Netherlands and elsewhere around the world.

Cast & Credits
Richard Duke of Gloucester/King Richard III Guy Roberts
Queen Elizabeth Jessica Boone/Lady Anne Deputy High Commissioner Jan Thompson, OBE
Edward IV Lane Davies
Buckingham Scott Bellefeuille
Richmond/Henry VII Taylor Napier
Clarence/Catesby Jeff Smith
Margaret Abigail Rice
Duchess of York Julie Josephson
Hastings/Lord Chamberlain John Poston
Archbishop Robert Orr
Lord Rivers Dan Brown
Lord Grey Stanislav Callas
Lord Stanley Bob Boudreaux
Tyrrel Vanessa Gendron
Ratcliffe Grant Podelco
Sir Robert Brackenbury/Keeper of the tower David Fisher
Princess Elizabeth Natassia Bustamente
Prince Edward Julian Bellefueille

Light Designer Premysl Janda
Costume Designer Eva Bellefeuille
Hair & Make-up Designer Eva Nyklickova
Stage Manager Eric Sammons
Assistant Stage Manager Kris Ayers

Playwright William Shakespeare
Director Guy Roberts

Contacts
Director, Prague Shakespeare Company
U Havlickovych Sadu 1531/11, Prague 2,
Czech Republic- 120000
M: +420 776469159
E: eric@pragueshakespeare.org

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Manohar Khushalani

Manohar Khushalani

Prof. Manohar Khushalani is a former Visiting Faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi. The courses he taught were: Animation & Graphics, Non-Linear Editing for Film and Radio and Theatre Appreciation.  He has won a total of nine Excellence in Teaching awards for all the courses he has taught at IIITD Earlier he retired from Government of India as Director Environment Management, Central Water Commission and held many senior positions in the Government Based on a Belief that Culture and Environment are the two keys to global sustainability , Manohar Khushalani has launched two portals: A Portal on Environment and Water called One Vorld at url: www.onevorld.org and two Ezines on Culture called Stage Buzz at url: www.stagebuzz.in He has taught extensively in varied subjects such as Dam Safety, Instrumentation, CAD, IT, Animation, Theatre, Newspaper Editing. He has conducted Courses on Environment Management, Water Shed Development, Team Building and Personality Development. He was an Expert Member of Prasar Bharti’s Committee for Grading & Short listing Films for Telecast on all channels of Doordarshan.  He is a Radio Anchor for All India Radio and has moderated several programs for the Rajdhani Channel He is a well-known Theatre Actor/Director and Critic, has been involved in theatre since 1977. He has worked as an actor in over 50 plays with almost every leading director/Actor in the Country including Badal Sircar, Feisal Alkazi, Amal Allana, M.K. Raina, Anuradha Kapoor, Maya Rao, Manohar Singh, Prasanna, Rati Bartholomew and Sushmita Mukherji. He has been active in the social sector as a street theatre activist. As a member of Workshop Theatre, Theatre Union and Prayog, Khushalani has participated in street plays taking up major social issues such as dowry, bride burning, Sati, banned medicinal drugs and communalism. Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can’t Pay Won’t Pay, both directed by him, received rave notices from critics and audiences alike. Other plays directed by him include Badal Sircar’s, Sagina Mahato and Boris Vian’s Empire Builders for Ruchika Theatre Group. Khushalani has also acted in a few films such as Sudhir Mishra's Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi , Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café and Pradeep Krishan's Annie Gives Those Ones. He is an Animator & Graphics Designer and has directed a number of documentaries. He also held a number of Honorary positions and was President of North India Films Association, He was the Chairman of  Jury for UGC CEC Educational Films Competition and has been on their Preview Committee since last many years. He was on the preview committee of Door Darshan Channel 3, was a visiting Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi, and Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, AJKMCRR, Jamia Milia Islamia and Professor in Media at FICT, Delhi  He has judged a large number of Drama Competitions and conducted a number of Theatre / Management Games Workshops with Institutions such as AIIMS, NTPC, CWPRS, NWA, Karve Nari Prakshishan Sansthan, FICT, IIT, MAMC, Gargi College, KNC, Tagore International School and Vivekananda School. He is a Theatre Critic for IIC Diary, has also been a Columnist with Midday and Pioneer Daily and wrote Column's Called Culture Cocktail and Footlights Respectively. He was also the Guest Editor for an issue on Folk Theatre of ICCR Journal Horizons. He has written for Times of Indian, Hindustan Times, Blitz, Hard News, Hindu Business Line, Theatre India & Art Times. He has designed dams and hydraulic structures for the Government. He is a programmer and has developed Engineering design software in Fortran. He is a co-author of Irrigation Practice & Design (Vol 1 to5 - 1500 pages) published by Oxford & IBH and sponsored by National Book Trust. He has been a Director, Environment and Sociology, at the National Water Academy, Khadakwasla and Director, Environment Management Directorate, Central Water Commission and Member Secretary, National Environmental Monitoring Committee for River Valley Projects. He was also Director of Instrumentation Directorate in the Dam Safety Organisation. He was Chief General Manager and Head of Water Resources at Scott Wilson and is an accredited consultant with numerous other organizations He is a Delhi Public School, BITS Pilani, IIT Delhi and FTI Pune Alumini. He was also the President of BITS Pilani Alumni Association, Pune.

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