All Or Nothing Repertory Theatre Company Presents MY OTHER SELF: THE EVOLUTION OF SHAKESPEARE'S RICHARD III

MY OTHER SELF: THE EVOLUTION OF SHAKESPEARE'S RICHARD III comes to The Cockpit Theatre, Monday 19th - Friday 23rd August at 7pm.

Tickets: £15 (£12 concession) available from www.camdenfringe.com NW8 8EH

A bold new adaptation of three of Shakespeare's most blood soaked plays. Exploring mental illness, toxic masculinity and the events that led to Richard III becoming literature's most infamous villain. Take an in depth look at the little known aspects of the War of The Roses Saga, the original Game of Thrones!

Was Richard truly born a villain, a dog that was meant to bite the world or was it the relationships and circumstances of his life that made him who he was? We explore:

• Richard's admiration for his father

• His jealousy of his brothers

• His damaged relationship with his mother

• How all of these circumstances culminated in his rise to power and ultimate fall.

In 2019 we live in a world considering the effects of decades of toxic masculinity, a male dominated society and what it means to be a man today. We are supporting CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably who support men living with and experiencing suicidal thoughts. In the UK suicide is the largest cause of death amongst men aged 45 and under. We want to open a discussion about mens mental health and support CALM and the services they provide. We viewed Richard's entire life using modern psychological ideas on masculinity and Jungian principles of archetypal constructs. The play examines specific moments Shakespeare gives us in his retelling of history and challenges our audience to examine where Richards life took a turn for the darker. He tries to emulate the best man he knows, his father, whilst grappling with his place in his families' hierarchical structure. He is rejected by his mother and this affects his relationship with women for the rest of his life. He is told he is evil, vile and deformed while those trying to achieve power, die violently all around him and this informs him what it takes to be a man, a king and a leader with disastrous effects.

Last year All or Nothing Rep produced three plays in Rep for the Pride Festival in order to celebrate those who fought against Margaret Thatcher's Section 28, implemented thirty years previous in 1988. They adapted an LGBTQ version of Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and As Is by William M Hoffman

For more information, visit www.allornothingrep.wixsite.com/mysite.