MARTIN FREEMAN IN AND AS RICHARD III - 30/08/2014
OMG... I saw Martin Freeman as and in Richard III at Trafalgar Studios. 30/08/2014 is officially the best day ever! I don't think I have had so much fun or been this excited! From last few weeks I was so busy and by end of this week I was so damn tired I didn't even got proper excited. Then yesterday spent most time exploring London, I was getting excited but still not as excited as I should be. But as the time for show drew nearer I started to get excited, I went to Stage Door before the show begun just to see it and finally then it hit me OMG.. I AM GOING TO SEE MARTIN FREEMAN I FEW MINUTES!'
Finally I entered in theatre as show was about to begin, with each step towards the stage I got so excited, internally screaming and my heart beat increasing. I was seating and in middle rows, view was really good (had to be, after paying so much ;)); so I sat there waiting for play to begin but gosh at that time my excitement was getting too much. I looked around, people being excited and happy, I just couldn't help but being happy. I was busy internally screaming when a loud music made me jump followed by lights going out, so it was starting.
Then some people wearing army suits, covering their faces in masks. I was waiting for Martin and then suddenly with a bang and cheers they took their masks off and threw all papers in air and then my heart almost stopped! It skipped few beats and I forgot how to breathe because there he was, Martin Freeman in real, in stage amongst the cast. And then it begun... Richard III. I was so lost in Martin that it didn't bother me that the play was in old English. D'uh.
Martin was looking so breath taking in Army uniform with ginger beard and hairs. Richard was partially paralyzed due to which he couldn't move right arm, so his (Martin's) right shoulder was up like a blade while left shoulder was dropped and the way he walked or rather limped reminded me of Micheal Emerson's (Harold Finch) character from Person of Interest. And then he spoke, his voice.. God, his voice took my breath away, the real Martin's voice; it's so different from TV. I can still hear his voice in my head, constantly in loop!
This play has so many different emotions and it is good to see Martin in portraying many different emotions. Oh trust me, Richard was such a manipulative B and Martin made him so real, even though I haven't read the original play, I can guarantee, Martin nailed it! From sugary sweet, romantic, to vicious plotter, cold blood murderer, Martin was perfect! His performance and expressions were beyond perfect!
The best part in play (aside from Martin in it) was Martin made all of us laugh so much at some of such intense scenes (most of the time they were intense) and it was purely with his facial expressions and some witty one-liners! Gosh at such intense moments he managed to made us laugh because of expressions, his body language and his one-liners. The best times when he was turn to make a dramatic exit but stops in midway turns back shaking his head, (sometimes) pointing finger, wouldn't say anything and then exit; as these times he would directly look at audience. He did that quite few times, paused before exiting and turning around, looking at characters pausing but his body moving or at times only expressions and then exiting.
Whenever Martin came on stage, I would move forward, arms resting on knees and face in my palms, I would watch it with so much interest, taking in every detail of Martin Freeman. How in worry his forehead can have 4-5 frown lines, his voice is so deep, his costume (he looks so hawwtt in suit), his footsteps. Oh God YES, his footsteps! I don't know if it was me or someone else noticed too but Martin's footsteps were loudest and so clear, I could hear so perfectly him moving around on stage, his footsteps caused my heart beats increase more. And his voice... his voice, oh God! It's perfect, it's shocking how easily his voice can change within seconds from sweet to devilish tone; oh Gosh.. his devilish laugh, that sinister laugh of his, no one dared to laugh at time because that vicious look and devilish laugh made audience shiver too. I loved his voice when he got angry then furious and how he raised his voice and instantly down too for next line, I am still in shock at how can someone change so quickly.
One of the moments in beginning which Richard killed husband of Lady Anne and then goes to her where she is with husband's dead body, her hands covered in his blood and cursing Richard. Then Richard comes and accepts (Ok, I am so doing unjust to this scene by writing like this, I hope you'll can forgive me), he killed him but because of Anne "Thine eyes, sweet lady, have infected me". That was such a great scene as Richard tells her that it was Anne's beauty that provoked him to murder her husband. When Anne curses him, Richard takes out the blade and offers himself "I lay naked to the deadly stroke, And humbly beg the death upon me." He goes down on his knee with bare chest with blade, asking Anne to kill him. It was so intense moment and then Anne lets the blade fall from her hands and Richard takes it up again and says "take up the blade again, or take me." When Anne doesn't move, Richard takes the blade and puts it on his throat ready to kill himself but Anne stops him, and in milli second he is on his knee with ring in his finger (I still don't remember where it came from, it happened so quickly) and says "Vouchsafe to wear this ring" with and we all ended up laughing, because it happened so suddenly, his from almost killing himself for her then on his knees with a ring instead of blade. As soon Anne exits from stage, Richard turns into vicious plotter and reveals he will take her but not for long, he already killed her father and husband and now will exploit her. This was one of beginning scenes and it made me shiver.
There were blood and violence scenes but when they first murdered Clearance, first drowning then I gasped as they cut his head and water turns red.
The other scene which I really loved when Richard plans to be king after King Edward's death. In meeting with counselors when Richard enters with holy book in his hand and radio in his other hand, looking so glum; his dream is about to come true and he is trying his best not to show his real self. When council tries to convince Richard to take up the position, gosh.. his acting of being so noble and innocent was stunning. Gosh, he had audience convinced how "innocent and noble" he is. Richard of course rejects the offer but when they force him, he becomes the king and his dream comes true. Interval.
When interval happened we all clapped really hard and didn't stop until actors where gone. Interval wasn't that long, I was hanging around and then briefly talked to the young couple who were sitting next to me. Lol... they didn't understand old English much either but were loving it, especially Martin's performance.
There wasn't much left after interval but what happened after interval that really got me almost screaming.
There was a scene between Richard & Queen Elizabeth where she curses him for killing her two children and says I have no other sons for you to kill then Richard says you have a daughter. That scene was so good, where Richard forces her, duck tape her to chair, make her listen as he demands her to marry her daughter to him! I wouldn't write too much about it but in the end, when he sends her off saying he will spare Queen's daughter's life if she gets him married to her. Before Queen Elizabeth can exit, Richard drags her back and tries to give her a kiss on cheek, it was so funny we all ended up laughing because Queen was taller and the way Richard tries to give her peck, it was suppose to be wicked exit but turned into funny one.
The most chilling scene of the play is when Richard murders his wife Lady Anne, in cold blood. I can never forget it, how he turns sinister within seconds and Anne screams, run for her life as his eyes turn dark, his expressions change into murderer. I never thought someone can so easily murder someone with the telephone line. Yep, he strangled her with telephone receiver wire. Her struggling for life, his pants, grunts, that devilish laugh as he is murdering her. As she screams, struggles, he instantly goes gentle; covering her mouth with he hand ans whispering Sshhh' gently in her ears as if parent is trying to comfort a child. Then finally she dies and he still stands over her, panting, grunting and holding her. I did no justice by explaining this scene because it was so scary, so dark and hair rising scene that this paragraph does not explain a bit. Martin's expressions, his voice and body language... it was all so real, so perfect that we all were shocked, silent and everyone on edge of their seats, with hands over their mouths, some mouths hanged open... that moment was one of the finest yet scariest moment. Never seen Martin so frightening before. For next minute or so the room was quiet and only Martin's pants were echoing.
Another most hair rising and chilling act was when Richard almost loses himself between sanity ad insanity, as all of his bad deeds come to hunt him before the battle.
The final battle scenes, I am not sure if last night they were changed or not but it wasn't as violence as they said so I guess they changed it due to Martin still recovering. But it was amazing how they carried out that and lastly when Richard loses and Richmond kills him with a gun, that was surprising. But I actually screamed when Richmond shot fire from his gun to kill Richmond because it was so loud, I felt like I was hit, the noise of gun shot was so loud so clear, I jumped and screamed too but thank God it was suppressed with shot noise and other music.
Then it was ending absolutely brilliant, when the final scene ended we all started clapping and that's when all actors including Martin Freeman (who was lying in pool of blood) gets up and takes a bow. Few of people stood up for standing ovation and I was the only one from my row (come on people, you all could've gotten up!), and then they all went backstage but clapping continued. Surprise, surprise, Martin came back out seconds later and took the final bows. And he looked waved and OMG... HE LOOKED AT ME and SMILED!! OMG.. I can't even... Then he finally went backstage but clapping continued for bit longer.
Finally as I quickly exited the studios, I went for stage door to wait for Martin Freeman, hoping he would do stage door. But after waiting for 15 minutes his driver came and said "MR Freeman will not be doing autographs tonight." It seems he is still not fully recovered so he's not doing Stage Door as much and he was tired too. 2 shows in one day. I was slightly dejected (Martin doesn't do photos either) but was still so happy and shaking and then finally he came out of the Stage Door and he briefly thanked us before he got in his car and left. Boy.. he has such a big car - LAND ROVER Black. We waved at him, watched him leave in his car and then I turned around happily and giddily towards tube station. It was almost 11pm when I started to make my way back and got back home around 1AM.
The play overall was outstanding, exceeding the expectations. The cast was brilliant, I loved Gina McKee as Queen Elizabeth. The stage was great and costumes were so good. I got to see Martin is Army uniform, in 3 piece suit, the jeans and straps.
OMG.. funny thing was that when earlier I came at the Stage Door before play was starting, this man outside was sitting there smoking. I was talking to my friend and when he approached us and asked if we are waiting for someone, but I said no, we are just exploring, I am showing my friend around. He smiled and went inside. Later at night, after play, it turns out that man, was Mr Martin Freeman's driver. I felt giddy at that realization.
Nevertheless, this was the BEST DAY & Night of my life!! I know, I didn't got autograph or took pictures but it's all captured in my eyes and heart. I can never forget this experience. 30/08/2014 - The best time of my life!
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