SHAKESPEARE ON THE FLAWS OF IMMORTALITY

I don't think that one of the greatest tragedies in William Shakespeare's repertoire has ever been staged at Baku's Young Spectator Theatre before. It was Azerbaijani People's Artiste Cannat Salimova's idea to bring this work to the theatre.

Let's briefly recall the scene. It is the middle of the 15th century. England has not been at war for twenty years. It would seem that the war between the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York in the power struggle between the two clans of the Plantagenets is almost over. King Edward IV's three-month reign had created the illusion of a possible end to the feud. Richard, the king's younger brother, has up to now been a devoted servant and a brave soldier who has fought for his brother. But now the king is sick and Richard is ready to stop at nothing on his way to the throne. Men trust him like small children, the children worship kind Uncle Richard and the women give in to him - a hunchback and a freak - without a fight. But he knows no bounds with his cynical treachery. In the end this becomes even comical! But in the logic of things, in a world of chaos and mayhem, a force must appear that can stop the tyrant - as long as it isn't another tyrant.

Today "Richard III" is a play which can help us make sense of today's world, its politics and its wars - information, economic and technological wars and enable us to realize that carving up the world goes back centuries. Because ever since the days of the Roman Empire there has been a certain consistency about the way the motives for and means of seizing power have been repeated. We learn about this every day from our television screens. It is the embodiment of history without moral judgement, and one must be able to regard this with irony. 

It is from this perspective that the director Cannat Salimova regards the events in Shakespeare's play, defining its genre as a bloody farce. Her concept is that this is a message to her contemporaries.

Parallels with today

A quartet of street musicians, led by a master of ceremonies, sets the scene, allowing the text of the play to be substantially reduced to five acts. They set the stage for or report about events which have already taken place or will soon take place, providing the audience not only with information but also giving them food for thought. They, on the other hand, like paparazzi (the director's reference to the present day!) concentrate on episodes of Richard's life, turning him into a PR star (quite an analogy with life today!) and creating the popularity he needs. There is an element of spin here - a recognizable feature of modern life! Incidentally, there are quite a few features like this in Salimova's play. They are scattered throughout the action, and each such ploy enables the audience to see an analogy through a quote about a specific period in the history of mankind which promoted its political leaders. The director equates the main hero with political figures of the past. So Richard of Gloucester - Sovgi Huseynov - becomes first Nero, then Stalin, then Hitler and then Beria, because all of them have traits of character relating them to Richard III.

Richard was a patron of the arts and he had a particular love of architecture and music, as did Nero. Stalin virtually wiped out the nobility class in the Soviet Union - and Richard did the same. Hitler nurtured the idea of power over the people - and this idea was not alien to Richard, either. Beria had an irresistible weakness for women, as did Richard. Salimova underlines this analogy with the idea that genius and evil are traits that can come together in the same person and be mystically handed down from generation to generation.  Thanks to the paparazzi of all ages and peoples, or those who re-write history to suit the structure of the politics of the time, they remain in the imagination of their descendants as evil geniuses.

The diversity of the characters' costumes (the artist, Elsan Sarxanoglu) is also a part of the concept of the director who is focusing the audience's attention on the idea that at all times and in all ages flaws remain flaws, however much the style and trend of fashion may change.

"My kingdom for a horse!"

Mankind has not yet come up with a model of society that doesn't need qualitative improvement. Ages come and go, man has moved on from airships to planes and acquired a whole number of gadgets but in terms of generous spirit he cannot rival the age of the Plantagenets. Because just as idols of a certain type have always been needed, so they have always been destroyed in the struggle for geographical, economic and political ground. And it is perfectly natural that Richard - Sovgi Huseynov - having been defeated in the duel with Richmond, waves his crown to the audience with the request: "My kingdom for a horse!" There is nothing else Richard can do, because he is a mere puppet in the hands of time. Providence sends him a dream on the eve of battle and in it are all the people Richard has killed. At the end of this procession are the little nephews killed in the Tower on his orders. They attack him and throw him to the ground with their small wooden swords. This is a prophetic dream and it was not long in coming true.

Revenge comes in the shape of Stanley (K. Hacizada), who betrays the king, dooming him to an ignominious end, just as Richard himself once betrayed as he bulldozed his way to the throne. But now he is prepared to flee and abandon the political arena. But where can he go? There is no answer. The people are silent. They are pleased to see another idol fall. But when the street musicians pick up the body of the dead Gloucester and throw it on top of a pile of other bodies once killed by him and boldly cart it away offstage, we realize that nothing is immortal. All things must pass. Richard, who tore the crown away from the heirs of King Edward IV, gives it back to the Duke of Richmond (Elnur Karimov). The audience peers into the face of the new king. The crowd in the square does the same. They see a handsome, confident, strong and well-tailored man. It seems that's how a new king ought to be. The king is dead - long live the king? There is no answer. Just a masked man sitting on a stool in a pool of light. This is not Richard of Gloucester. It is not Richmond. The man in the mask confidently and tightly grips a rifle which he apparently is already preparing to fire. It seems that Richmond, too, will not be on the throne for long. The man in the mask is the new contender for the crown! Who are you, mystery man in the mask? There is no answer. The people fall silent.

It is very important that such a serious play is being staged at the Young Spectator Theatre, because this play forces us to think and make comparisons and rouses our interest in studying the history of mankind.

"Richard III" is dedicated to the 450th anniversary of the birth of the British playwright William Shake-speare.