The Tragedy of King Richard II

King. The male ruler of an independent state; one who inherits the position by right of birth.

King of the castle. A children’s game in which each child attempts to stand alone on a mound, or sandcastle, by pushing other children off it.

Olivier Award-winner Simon Russell Beale takes the title role in Shakespeare’s play about the limits of power.

King Richard II is arrogant, reckless and vain. His weak leadership sends his kingdom into disarray and his court into uproar. Disinherited and exiled from the kingdom, the ambitious Bolingbroke challenges the throne and the king’s divine right to rule.