Thursday 26 March 2015

Richard III: The Burial of the King | 'Now is the winter of our discontent!'

As Richard III, the last king of York, is reintered at Leicester Cathedral in a historic service this morning (showing live on Channel 4 in the UK from 10am, with highlights airing at 8pm), here's a reminder of Vincent Price's tongue-in-cheek take on William Shakespeare's version Machiavellian monarch, as played by his vengeful tragedian Edward Lionheart, in the 1973 black comedy Theatre of Blood.


LIONHEART: 'Well, Larding, you said my Richard III cast such a spell on the audience... "it put this reviewer in a deep sleep. And I awoke that I was spared attending the aging matinee idol's ranting and posturing." Well, let's see if we can get more rapt attention from you today. "Dive, thoughts, down to my soul, here Clarence comes".' 


LIONHEART: 'So, this critic slept through my Richard, did he? No doubt because you supped too much, you drunken hog. You may know that in Richard III, Clarence... and I do want you to try out for that part, Larding... was drowned in a vat of wine!'




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