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Richard II by William Shakespeare, translated to Classical Arabic

Ashtar Theatre Company
Hisham’s Palace, Jericho, Palestine and Shakespeare’s Globe, London 2012
Director: Conall Morrison
Photography: Rajha Shakiry, Lucía Conejero Rodilla and Marc Brenner

As part of the Globe to Globe Festival and 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Richard II premiered at the ruins of Hisham’s Palace, Jericho, Palestine.  Using a Classical Arabic translation of Shakespeare’s text and setting it in a contemporary context, was the primary focus of discussions with the director and performers. This had to be achieved whilst avoiding preconceived or stereotyped historical and aesthetic ideas about both Eastern and Western cultures.   The main objective of the design was to provide a clear and concise reflection of each character, their status and to map their progress through the play.