RSC casts disabled actor in role of Richard III for first time in its history

Actor Arthur Hughes is to become the first disabled performer to play the role of Richard III in the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The play is one of three new Shakespeare productions announced by the RSC, which has also unveiled a new ticketing partnership with social media site TikTok and plans for a new Shakespeare curriculum that will be made available for free from 2023.

Hughes will take the title role in Richard III when it runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from June 23 to October 8. The production will be directed by Gregory Doran, who remains on compassionate leave following the death of Antony Sher.

The actor, who makes his RSC debut in Wars of the Roses on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage this spring, said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that playing Richard at the RSC is a dream come true. Richard is the most murderous and charismatic character in Shakespeare’s plays and... he’s disabled. I’m thrilled not only to be playing this title role at the RSC, but also that a major production of this play is putting disability centre stage.”

He added: “It’s sadly rare in many plays to find a leading disabled character and, with this production, I hope we prove that disabled talent deserves to be in the spotlight."

The company has also announced that Blanche McIntyre will direct All’s Well That Ends Well “for the social media generation”, in a new production exploring themes of romantic fantasy, toxic masculinity and consent. 

It runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from August 16 to October 8 and is designed by Robert Innes Hopkins, who previously collaborated with McIntyre on the RSC’s Titus Andronicus in 2017. 

“I am so excited to have the chance to direct Shakespeare’s most modern comedy at the RSC. All’s Well that Ends Well, as full of grief and nostalgia as romance and adventure, with its story of sexual politics, class prejudice and generation gaps, would always have felt contemporary. But the fantasy relationships and fake identities in the play make it a perfect match for our anxious, idealistic, lonely, social-media-addicted age,” McIntytre said.

The RSC has also announced First Encounters with Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, a new production directed by Robin Belfield, which is created in partnership with young people from communities across the English regions. It will tour to UK theatres and schools. 

The 90-minute version will use “edited versions of the original language”, the RSC said, adding that it would have a focus on sustainable practice, from the way it is made to the way it tours. 

The production, designed by Georgie White, will feature a set made by students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy using reclaimed and recycled materials. 

Erica Whyman, acting artistic director of the RSC, said: “Across 10 unforgettable years, our commitments to partnership, to inclusion and justice, and to innovative ways to share our work have deepened and evolved. All three are demonstrated in this announcement, and our new collaboration with TikTok perfectly illustrates our determination to entice new audiences.”

From this June, the partnership with TikTok will mean young people and full-time students will be able to see an RSC show in Stratford-upon-Avon or London for £10 – or £5 for reduced-price previews – while state schools can also book £10 TikTok Tickets for group visits in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The RSC has also provided an update on the reopening of its Swan Theatre, which will undergo essential construction and maintenance work this year to improve the audience experience, with new seats and improved access, including additional seating with level access and a total of 11 wheelchair positions, a new hearing loop and improved auditorium lighting.

The inside of the Swan Theatre will be stripped back to its wooden frame, and a new structural grid installed to take the weight off the ceiling. A new infrastructure for lighting, sound and video streaming will also be installed, helping the venue make shows more sustainably. It is expected to reopen in early 2023.