Richard II

David Tennant in his US stage debut!

Direct from London comes the first of Shakespeare's four War Of The Roses plays, deftly handled by the star pairing of director Gregory Doran and stage and screen star David Tennant, reprising his role once again as the unhinged monarch in his US stage debut. This New York transfer marks the 400th anniversary commemorations of Shakespeare's death, and forms part of the cycle of four Roses plays set to show at the BAM in 2016 in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Tennant, whose previous turns in Dr Who and crime drama Broadchurch sky-rocketed him to international fame, recently starred in Netflix's original superhero series Jessica Jones. His skin-crawling portrayal of mega-villain Kilgrave has cemented his status as one of the UK's leading actors.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

The capricious and vain Richard II is convinced of his own divinity, but fails to see the danger and precarious nature of his claim to the English throne. He exiles all those who he sees as a threat; the banishment of one Henry Bolingbroke would prove to be his undoing. Accusing the Duke of Norfolk of seizing his lands and plotting to murder his uncle the Duke of Gloucester, Henry leaves for exile abroad, promising to return for his rightful inheritance, with an army to support him.

When Richard is distracted by a rebellion in Ireland, Bolingbroke returns under the radar to England, intent on recovering his rightful property, and instigates an uprising against the incompetant king, much to the glee of his peers. Richard returns from Ireland to find his supporters have abandoned him, and to his horror that his uncle York has allied himself with Bolingbroke, and has promised him the throne. What will Richard do, now that his armies have defected, and his supporters now act for his rival Henry?

Shakespeare's King cycle

The four plays that make up Shakespeare's War of The Roses collection of works remains today a crucial part of the Bard's great works, lending greater depth to English royal history, and providing inspiration to modern works such as George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones anthology. With a host of great British stars set to reprise their roles this side of the Atlantic, BAM will be the go-to place for Shakespeare lovers in 2016.