Dieses Semester hat sich der Englisch Leistungskurs in Jahrgang 13 bei Frau Kramer mit Shakespeare’s Literatur, genauer gesagt mit dem Stück „Richard III.“ im Unterricht auseinandergesetzt. Zufälligerweise fand zeitgleich das Theaterstück ‘Richard the Kid & the King‘ im Deutschen Schauspielhaus in Hamburg statt. Diese Möglichkeit konnte sich der Kurs nicht entgehen lassen und hat sich am 14. Oktober 2021 das Theaterstück in Hamburg angesehen. Passend dazu eine Rezension der Schülerin Sila Nur Gencay aus dem Englisch LK.

Natürlich in Englisch 😉


‘Richard the Kid & the King’ will get your arts and culture heart going.

As part of a school trip, I recently got to experience the masterpiece of a play performed by the German theater ‚Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg‘ in Hamburg. Karin Henkel, Sybille Meier und Andrea Schwieter, three playwrights, fuze William Shakespeares‘ ‚Henry VI‘ and ‚Richard III‘ to create ‚Richard the Kid & the King‘. In this beautiful piece of art, the viewer gets to experience the fascinating character of Richard, the bitter and bloody War of Roses, and the collective failure of an entire country in a humorous but (sometimes) serious way. 

The playwrights‘ combination of Shakespeares‘ dramas and Tom Lanoye und Luc Percevals‘ ‚Schlachten‘ (battles! /butcher!) offer an insight into the life of Richard III. In ‚Richard the Kid‘ they focus on Richard’s childhood and family history while it lays on the political environment of the notorious ruler in ‚Richard the King‘. The antihero’s way of growing up and the process of achieving his ultimate goal is portrayed in a historical context this way. As the viewer gets insight into his circumstances as a child, the play can be enjoyed and understood without having read the dramas. 

What especially stayed in mind were the performances of the actors.  It almost seemed like they were born to play their roles authentically and convey it to us, the viewers. Many critics already praised Lina Beckmann, who plays Richard himself, because of her impressive presence on the stage, and it is not enough. Watching her perform activated the obligation to not only pay attention to the almost four hours long play but also to enjoy and fully grasp the message the play conveys. Though it has to be said that all of the actors seemed like they found their purpose in life.

Another aspect that won over my heart was the stage design. Plain, dark and simple is how I would describe it. A big black circular stage, illuminated by small balls of lights, which were able to sink, elevate and change colors, were the base of the stage design. With that, every little use of a prop or the actors themselves seemed to be in the foreground constantly. As the atmosphere on stage changed and processed, the lights did as well, influencing the setting in the audience. 

While the production seemed to take risks in the execution of the play, it was all worth it in my and the opinion of the attentive audience. I strongly appeal to you to enjoy this masterpiece as it combines Shakespeare’s grandiose skills as an author, the noticeably good production of the theater, and the blood, sweat, and tears of the talented actors. Also since my interest in theater sky-rocketed because of this experience, I actively urge you to not miss this opportunity.

– Sila Nur Gencay, Englisch LK Jg. 13

Fotos: Lenja Kenstel

Von Jule H.

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