Shakespeare’s *Richard III*, which premiered around 1593, was already one of the playwright’s most successful works during his lifetime. To this day, the title character has lost none of his fascination.
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Theater RambaZamba
His allure lies precisely in his uninhibited, single-minded, and relishfully displayed amorality. Richard is the first in a line of villains in Shakespeare’s work whose masterful art of manipulation captivates audiences.
In the tradition of European theater history, Richard’s physical “deformity” became a symbol of moral depravity. This equation of disability with malice has become deeply ingrained in the cultural memory and continues to shape the perception of bodies that deviate from the norm.
The production at the RambaZamba Theater radically challenges this association.
In collaboration with playwright Antigone Akgün, Shakespeare’s text is rewritten to portray Richard as a character whose rise to power stems from experiences of exclusion, ridicule, and structural ableism.
Instead of a “demonic tyrant,” Richard appears as someone who seizes the participation denied to him by any means necessary—uncompromising, dazzling, relentless. Director Julia Wissert focuses on the political dimensions: Who has access to power? Who is allowed to be visible? And what kind of violence does a society generate that constantly devalues its outsiders?
Director Julia Wissert, known for her politically charged, discourse-driven productions, has collaborated with playwright Antigone Akgün to create a script that blends Shakespearean rhythm with contemporary exaggeration, making anger, wit, and resistance palpable in the dialogues.
The diverse bodies and voices of the RambaZamba Theater actors create a resonant space in which norms and deviations are constantly renegotiated.
Funded by the Capital City Culture Fund and the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.
