This son of York?

[selenak]

So the first reviews for Gregory Doran's production of Richard II, starring David Tennant, are in and they are glowing, both for the entire production and for DT in the title role, which makes me hope I'll manage to catch the performance when its broadcast to several cinemas, including one in Munich. One aspect in the reviews, however, made me sit

Comments

[angevin2]

I kind of suspect I'm one of those people, but I really would have minded the Hollow Crown version a lot less if they'd had an Aumerle who could act (and if they'd at least given him one good "oh god what have I done" moment). I'm way more chill about Doran's version.

Also, stabbing or no stabbing, I dunno what fic you've been reading, because pre-Hollow Crown fandom loves its Richard/Aumerle. AND its Richard/Bolingbroke. Basically Richard/anyone who isn't his uncles or Northumberland = totally plausible, at least in my book. ;)

Also also, Richard/Bolingbroke kissing isn't unheard of! Fiona Shaw did it! A lot! One time it lasted 12 seconds! I timed this so I could mention it in a conference paper I gave, and it was really fun watching the audience count out 12 seconds in their heads and then make faces. (Of course, Shaw and director Deborah Warner said that it wasn't intended to play as sexual, but it did. It really, really did.) Mark Rylance also got to kiss Liam Brennan in the 2003 Globe production, but Rylance's Richard didn't

[selenak]

Poor Northumberland, left out of all the action. :) And yes, I know there was pre-Hollow Crown Richard/Aumerle, but I had the impression it was more an Aumerle-crushes-on-Richard thing than a requited thing?

Who played the Bolingbroke to be kissed by Fiona Shaw for 12 seconds?

[angevin2]

David Threlfall in the stage version, Richard Bremmer in the filmed version.

Also, I know not what you call unrequited, but there's definitely a lot of fic where Richard and Aumerle, regardless of their respective levels of investment in their relationship, are either explicitly or implicitly doing the horizontal estampie. I know 'cause I wrote a bunch of them. ;) (I was going to provide links but then I got lazy.)

[lareinenoire]

I had the same issue with THC although, again, mine came more from the fact that the actor playing Aumerle there didn't sell it at all, plus they'd lampshaded someone who I was completely convinced was Sir Piers of Exton and turned out to be just some random sinister-looking guy. It was all a bit confusing and disappointing.

So I am cheerfully exercising my right to double-standards, in essence. ;) Plus, I have a total soft spot for this particular Aumerle, having directed him in graduate school six years ago, and it sounds like Doran has at least considered the implications of what he's doing.

(Also, the RSC production under Michael Boyd had Bagot kill Richard in the final scene, which was similarly weird but also effective.)