Did London Critics Hail Kevin Spacey in Richard II at the Old Vic?
Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey is gracing his theater’s stage yet again. This time he is starring in a modern-dress production of William Shakespeare’s Richard II, directed by Trevor Nunn. Did critics think this Richard deserved to reign? Here is a sampling of what they had to say: Benedict Nightingale of The London Times: “Let’s celebrate a performance that is the very opposite of a waste of his or our time. Thanks to [Spacey’s] skills and Trevor Nunn’s direction, it is strong enough for us at last to feel confident about the future of Spacey’s regime and of our most venerable classical theatre… Here is the key to Spacey’s reading. Even when he is warned of danger to come, he simply cannot conceive of the possibility of being opposed, let alone overthrown.
Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey is gracing his theater’s stage yet again. This time he is starring in a modern-dress production of William Shakespeare’s Richard II, directed by Trevor Nunn. Did critics think this Richard deserved to reign? Here is a sampling of what they had to say: Benedict Nightingale of The London Times: “Let’s celebrate a performance that is the very opposite of a waste of his or our time. Thanks to [Spacey’s] skills and Trevor Nunn’s direction, it is strong enough for us at last to feel confident about the future of Spacey’s regime and of our most venerable classical theatre… Here is the key to Spacey’s reading. Even when he is warned of danger to come, he simply cannot conceive of the possibility of being opposed, let alone overthrown. He comes across as pretty smug, but also more justified in complacency than most Richards, for he has genuine charisma, majesty and even strength of will.” Nicholas de Jongh of The Evening Standard: “You would need a heart o
