WASHINGTON (Map, News) - “I am determined to prove a villain.”

— Richard III

As any actor worth his salt knows, playing romantic leads is all well and good, but if you really want to have the audience in the palm of your hand, you have to be a bad guy. William Shakespeare was well aware of this, and he created some of the greatest heavies in the history of theater: Tybalt in “Romeo and Juliet,” Edmund in “King Lear,” Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth” and Iago in “Othello.”

However, the piece de resistance among Shakespearian villains is, without a doubt, the title role in “Richard III,” which is currently being depicted by Geraint Wyn Davies in director Michael Kahn’s outstanding production now playing at The Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Unlike most of Shakespeare’s histories, the plot of “Richard III” is incredibly simple and straightforward. Richard is determined to become the King of England, so he arranges to have the half-dozen people ahead of him in the line of succession systematically bumped off. (Two of his victims are little boys, which will give you an idea of just how dastardly Richard is.)

The thing that makes the part of Richard an actor’s dream is how much fun he has being evil. He takes the audience in to his confidence from the very beginning, relishing every detail of his diabolic schemes. When he addresses his family and colleagues in person, butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. As soon as they’re offstage, he discloses to us how he looks forward to ensuring their demise.

Under Kahn’s expert guidance, the supporting cast, which includes some of the Washington area’s most talented artists, such as Floyd King, Edward Gero and Andrew Long, are all superb, but let’s face it, any production of “Richard III” rises or falls on the strength of its lead, and Wyn Davies proves to be deliciously malignant in the role.

Kudos also to Charlie Morrison’s lighting and Lee Savage’s imposingly askew set that would have been right at home in a 1930s black-and-white Warner Bros. prison picture.

According to historians, the real Richard III was nowhere near the monster that the Bard portrayed him as, but who cares? For sheer entertainment, you can’t beat a great villain, and they don’t come any better than Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Richard III.”

If you go ...

» “Richard III,” through March 18

Venue: Shakespeare Theatre Company, 450 7th St. NW, Washington

Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays; 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets: $30 to $76.25

More info: 202-547-1122 or www.shakespearetheatre.org

Comments from Examiner Readers

6:07 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Review: �Inspector� is sadly clueless"

Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.

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8:00 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 17, 2008 re: "Review: 'High School Musical' sticks to the status quo"

Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.

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10:40 AM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007 re: "Review: 'Heartbreak' at Berkeley Rep"

Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.

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12:15 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 9, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!

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5:18 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 8, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.

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2:23 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!

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11:14 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."

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9:27 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare�s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors� nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.

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9:09 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.

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6:47 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 20, 2007 re: "Eye of the beholder at the heart of �Fat Pig�"

JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.

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2:03 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 13, 2007 re: "A trifle of a �Tempest�"

Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days

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10:45 AM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007 re: "A harrowing choice at Theater J"

Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?

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9:33 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shakespeare�s bloodiest"

EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!

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9:27 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!

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9:23 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!

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