Richard II, King of England, is irresponsible, foolish and vain. His weak leadership sends his kingdom into disarray and his court into uproar. Seeing no other option but to seize power, the ambitious Bolingbroke challenges the throne and the king’s divine right to rule. Simon Russell Beale plays William Shakespeare’s Richard II in this visceral new production about the limits of power, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbin and broadcast live from the stage of the Almeida Theatre.