U.K.'s The Stage reports that actor Arthur Hughes will be the first disabled actor to play the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III in Royal Shakespeare Company's history. The production runs at Royal Shakespeare Theatre June 23 to October 8 under direction by Gregory Doran.
Hughes' first role with the company will be sooner than June as he makes his RSC debut in Wars of the Roses this spring. However, it is playing Richard, Hughes shared with The Stage, that is a dream made real. "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 center stage. 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."
In recent memory, the last widely-discussed production of Richard III led by a disabled actor seems to have been at Hull Truck Theatre in Hull, U.K., which featured Mat Fraser in 2017.
For tickets and more information, visit RSC.org.
