eloriekam will especially like this, I think

[angevin2]

It's the trailer for David Tennant's Richard II!

Click to view

It doesn't reveal anything about the production -- which just started rehearsals last week -- but the central image suits the play, and oh yes, there is a voiceover by MICHAEL MOTHERFUCKING PENNINGTON who is playing John of Gaunt.

Also, the RSC rehearsal diaries continue to be lovely. The

Comments

[eloriekam]

OHMYGOD I AM A BUNDLE OF EXPLODING SQUEE AND THERE ARE CHILLS RUNNING DOWN MY SPINE AND I SHOULD PROBABLY STOP WITH THE CAPSLOCK NOW.

*pant pant pant*

For real though I almost exploded listening to that. Plus pretty scenery, but jafldsjflajfdlsajdlskajds OMG.

I'm a little worried I'd genuinely pass out from excitement if I listen to it again right now but I swear "Against the envy of less happier lands" was delivered very similarly to how you had me do it which again makes me explode with SQUEEEEEEEEE. I might need smelling salts for that speech instead of for watching DT.

Also for the first 15 seconds or so I totally thought they'd listened to our trailer and was totally waiting for 'Are you contented to resign the crown?' and stuff. :D

....I think I need to go lie down now?

[angevin2]

It is a documented fact that there has never been a trailer for a production of Richard II that does not have this speech as the narration. ;)

BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS. MICHAEL PENNINGTON. FUCK YEAH.

[eloriekam]

I am now struck by the urge to try to go find all these trailers (yeah, sometimes I have to be online to do work... occasionally A Bad Thing for productivity ;) ).

I'm going to listen again as soon as I think I can manage without exploding and stuff. But I think my squeeing sounds from first viewing may have reached you by now? ;)

[angevin2]

Well, really the only other one there is is the Hollow Crown trailer (the BBC one, not the PBS one) so it won't take you very long! Film productions of Richard II are pretty thin on the ground. ;)

[aussiepeach]

Ooooooooh. Never has that speech sounded so - threatening. *loves*

[angevin2]

Which is, I've always felt, how it should sound! I mean, the entire point of it is "Richard is driving the entire country into the toilet." In Kevin Spacey's production a few years back they had Gaunt delivering it to news cameras (it was modern-dress obviously) and they replayed clips of it throughout the production.

[gileonnen]

This is SO VERY TRUE and I love how small England becomes in that last shot--this apparent sylvan glade in which the crown is bestowed by nature, contiguous with the vistas of England touched by sun and storm, becomes a heap of unproductive earth upon a barren stage. I love how that transition suits the rhetoric of the speech, I love how the lighting becomes suddenly stark, oh my GOODNESS.

So excited!

[angevin2]

Within the hollow crown keeps Death his court. And so forth.

[lblanchard]

This sent me wittering around my office to make sure I had the date of the showing on my calendar (I do) and a printout of my tickets in the appropriate file (I do). Thanks for sharing.

[possbert]

Why weren't the RCS doing this when Jacobi did his Macbeth? Or Sam West his Richard II?

Yours, Annoyed of Perth.