Introduction
The play Richard III is a basic presentation of the misappropriation of power by one sibling after taking over from his dead brother. King Edward IV is an able leader who helps his country make fortunes and earn the respect of other nations. He consequently gains respect among his peers and the citizens. The play adopts a theme that has presented itself in most real-life governments and monarchies, and this contributes to the play being timeless.
The Set
As much as the play was originally set in the 1560s, I would like to set it in the year 2011, which is the current year. This is because the plot is a common tale of greed especially when it comes to leadership and could therefore fit the profile of most modern-day countries and their leaders.
Therefore, giving it a modern set will make it much easier for the audience to identify and relate with the characters as well as pick up a valuable message from the play. The set design will be consciously designed to mimic realistic and modern settings. For instance, King Edward’s office in the set should borrow from the White House’s Oval Office. While Richard is wooing Anne, it would be appropriate to have them meet at cafes and eateries. The rest of the set should be designed to reflect modern-day New York, which happens to be the city that most people in the United States can easily identify. It would be desirable to have the various elements of the set interchangeable to make it easy to present the different locations presented in the play.
Costume design
The costume element of the play should also be designed in tandem with the time selected (which is modern). King Edward should dress in sharp suits and his aides also be clad in proper uniform. Anne should dress in beautiful dresses and sometimes fitting jeans like would be the case with a modern young American lady. It would not make sense to spend heavily on custom-made suits when we can easily request the actors to come in items picked from their wardrobes. This would make the attire appear more realistic and fit well within the story.
Lighting design
The lighting for the play should be sharp and clean. It should auger well with the colors of the costumes and set backgrounds to properly reflect the time of the day as well as adequately present the time of year that the play has been set. Using dull lighting even for daytime scenes may end up making the entire play appear to be set in a different time, hence bringing about more confusion.
Music design
Background music should be derived from current popular songs. However, selection will be determined based on the scene at hand. For instance, in the opening scene where Richard is presenting his woes about his brother’s ascent to power, it would make sense to use background music that illustrates his jealousy and greed. A good suggestion would be the song Greed by the band Godsmack would appropriately complement the dialogue.
When King Edward dies, a sad tune will be used and this can easily be represented by Beck’s already dead. Songs will be composed for particular scenes depending on the need.