BBC Entertainment News
Richard II marks the start of a run of Shakespeare's history plays, each of which will be directed by Doran.
Speaking at at Wednesday's season launch in London, Doran told the BBC he thought that Richard II could be "almost a bigger challenge" for Tennant than Hamlet.
One of the triumphs of Tennant's Hamlet, he pointed out, had been his exploration of the humorous side of the role.
"Richard II can seem like a paean of self-pity," Doran said. "I think David will find it quite hard that, for a lot of the play, the audience don't like this self-indulgent, self-obsessed creature that Richard seems to be."
The Telegraph - Daisy Bowie-Sell
David Tennant to play Richard II at the RSC
"The ex-Doctor Who actor also worked with Doran on the RSC's widely acclaimed 2008 production of Hamlet, tickets for which sold out within hours. Demand is likely to be as high for Richard II, which also features actor Oliver Ford Davies and will transfer to the Barbican in December after its run in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Doran said: "I am delighted that David Tennant and Oliver Ford Davies will be returning to the company for this production. As we continue our journey to find a home for our work in London, it’s great to work with the Barbican again and it’s a fantastic space in which to present this particular production."
The Stage News online - Alistair Smith
"Following its run from October at the Royal
Speaking at a press conference today, Doran said that a new permanent London home for the RSC was “a priority”, but stressed that he had had “absolutely no conversations” with the Barbican about the RSC returning there on a long-term basis. He said that the RSC was transferring Richard II to the Barbican because it was “the best theatre that [the production] could possibly be in in London”.
Evening Standard - Louise Jury
"The former Doctor Who — who is now an RSC board member — will take the title role in Richard II when he is reunited with Doran, who directed him in his acclaimed but injury-hit run as Hamlet five years ago. The production will have a seven-week run at the Barbican — the RSC’s original London home — from December 9 this year after opening in Stratford-upon-Avon. Speaking in London, Doran said: “I want us to produce the best possible live experience of Shakespeare for audiences of all ages and backgrounds and provide the most stimulating environment possible for creative artists to practise their craft.”
The Guardian - Mark Brown
"Doran himself will direct Richard II, following on from their Hamlet in 2008–09 – a production that the Guardian's Michael Billington described as "one of the most richly textured, best-acted versions of the play we have seen in years". While it was a much praised production it was not without its difficulties; chief among them Tennant's prolapsed disc that meant he was unable to perform in the London production for about a month."
