Richard 3 — Bell Shakespeare

Overview

Bell Shakespeare artistic director Peter Evans has teamed up with Australian stage and screen actor Kate Mulvany to bring to life one of the most manipulative, dastardly and downright evil characters ever to stand before the footlights.

Mulvany will play the notorious woman-hater and generally tasteless gent, which will undoubtedly lead to some tasty additional layers in the play and a fresh look at this gem of theatre and literature. Shakespeare's classic play explores King Richard III's Machiavellian acquisition of power and has essentially served as a textbook for most politicians from Henry Kissinger to… well, you can draw your own conclusions.

The themes of power, deceit and malevolence amongst the ruling elite that are central to the play, have been echoed throughout the ages. If you're keen to get more out of House of Cards, this is a good place to start.

Image: Pierre Toussaint.