CROOKBACK - a solo adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III
Toronto, ON 2011 | London, UK 2013 | Edmonton, AB 2014 | Oakville, ON 2015
Directed and Dramaturged by Megan Watson
Design Contribution by Chris Penna (Toronto) and Megan Koshka (Edmonton)
Sound by Kendra Welham
This solo show follows Richard’s bloody and murderous rise to power, as he destroys everything in his path to the throne. Thirteen of Shakespeare's most memorable characters are brought to life in a riveting and unforgettable performance.
Directed and Dramaturged by Megan Watson
Design Contribution by Chris Penna (Toronto) and Megan Koshka (Edmonton)
Sound by Kendra Welham
This solo show follows Richard’s bloody and murderous rise to power, as he destroys everything in his path to the throne. Thirteen of Shakespeare's most memorable characters are brought to life in a riveting and unforgettable performance.
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★★★★ Edmonton Journal - "So much to savour in this exhilarating solo show ... An alert intelligence is at work here in this black-comedy. And Welham, who has an incisively colloquial way with the text, is a riveting actor." - Liz Nicholls
★★★★ Vue Weekly - "Welham single-handedly conjures an excellent staging of one of Shakespeare's greatest villains." - Brad Kennedy ★★★★ thepublicreviews - "Welham has created an extraordinary piece of drama out of an extraordinary script, a dark, humorous and intensely psychological portrait of Shakespeare’s greatest villain. It should not be missed." - James Bartholomeusz |
★★★★★ remotegoat - "Both as an exhibition of acting and as an adaptation of Shakespeare, Crookback is an astonishing achievement and a real gem for any audience ... This is the kind of production an audience feels privileged to see - unmissable." - Jerome Kennedy
★★★★★ viewsfromthegods - "Creator Tim Welham and director Megan Watson have taken Shakespeare's Richard III, ripped it of its trappings and repackaged it as a character study of the man himself ... Form meets function beautifully here to give the audience a clear artistic vision." |
SET DESIGN
This project began in May 2010 with the hope of re-energizing Shakespeare's Richard III. The original play is steeped in complicated history, which is overwhelming when you first encounter the story and characters. For Crookback, the focus shifts to Richard’s story (as he tells it through his unique soliloquies), and the subplots and oblique historical references are removed. The result is clear, simple, and highly theatrical. This solo show is told completely from Richard's perspective, and explores the concept of audience-character complicity through direct-address soliloquy.
The current adaptation leans heavily into the creation of a character called “Crookback”: a warped version of Richard III’s inner psychosis. Everything in the play flows, in some way, from his dark and twisted soul. Crookback’s skewed perspective is what makes this adaptation compelling: because even through the bloody haze there is still a lonely, crippled man who helps us understand what it means to be human.
The current adaptation leans heavily into the creation of a character called “Crookback”: a warped version of Richard III’s inner psychosis. Everything in the play flows, in some way, from his dark and twisted soul. Crookback’s skewed perspective is what makes this adaptation compelling: because even through the bloody haze there is still a lonely, crippled man who helps us understand what it means to be human.
