'Bridgerton' star Jonathan Bailey will play 'Richard II' in a new production of the Shakespeare play at the Bridge Theatre in London under Nicholas Hytner's direction.
The show will run from Monday, February 10, to Saturday, May 10, 2025. Opening night will be on Tuesday, February 18.
Bailey, well-known for his breakthrough performance as Lord Anthony in 'Bridgerton,' recently appeared in Showtime's 'Fellow Travelers.' He is currently filming 'Jurassic World' with Scarlett Johansson and will play Fiyero in the upcoming 'Wicked' film. He also starred as Edgar in 'King Lear' opposite Ian McKellen and won an Olivier for his role as Jamie in 'Company.'
'Richard II' delves into the intricacies of leadership and the challenges of a monarch out of touch with political realities. The famous Shakespeare play shows the conflict between divine right and pragmatic governance.
The production includes casting by Robert Sterne, design by Bob Crowley, and lighting by Bruno Poet. Associate director Lily Dyble joins the creative team.
Hytner's 'Richard II' will stage the play in "a cross between in-the-round and traverse" rather than the immersive style of Hytner's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar,' which both allowed viewers to be up close to the actors.
"Richard II has a delicacy and interiority that isn't going to respond to that kind of treatment," Hytner told The Guardian of plans for the production. He said the play's main question is: "What do you do when a ruler is absolutely inadequate? How do you get rid of the rightful leader?"
The director added that, on the one hand, the play endorses Richard's right to rule, and on the other hand, it appears to endorse his adversary Bolingbroke's greater capacity to rule.
Furthermore, he noted that the play will look at "a feudal world on the cusp of modernity."
