Corona Cold Reads: Richard II

These are crazy times and we’ve all taken on a bunch of new projects as we socially isolate in order to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

We’re donating where we can, we’re cleaning the pantry, we’re organizing the 2300+ title dvd library. We finished work on the Nominee Interview Series even though the live event for our yearly Critics’ Pick Awards had to be cancelled (we’ve still got trophies to give out, eventually). We started the Corona Movie Club to help curb our boredom and constant need to talk about movies with other human beings. I’m even watching network procedurals and actually writing about them.

But what we all really need is comfort. We need our favourite things and our favourite people and right now those are hard to come by so we have to do everything we can to bring them together whenever possible. For me, there’s nothing quite so comforting and joyful as Shakespeare. Luckily, I know a lot of people who also love Shakespeare- a few old friends from my alma mater’s Shakespeare Society and a few of my favourite Toronto theatre artists, all of whom just so happen to be talented and generous and responsibly socially isolated enough to want to join a nearly 3-hour 19-person Zoom call for the purposes of livestreaming Shakespeare on YouTube.

Check out Richard II in audio form below (or on iTunes) then tune into our YouTube page on Saturday and Tuesday nights at 7pm EST to catch our live readings.

A huge thank you to the cast of Richard II:

King Richard II- Christopher Prentice
John of Gaunt- Jim Hill
Henry Bolingbroke- Robert Skanes
Thomas Mowbray- Weldon Goree
Duke of Aumerle- Mark Kreder
First Herald/ Captain/ Duchess of York- Torey Urquhart
Second Herald/ Sir Stephen Scroop/ Servant – Melissa Wright
Green/Groom/Lord/ Abbot – Miriam B
Bushy/Keeper/ Lord Fitzwater – Hilary Wartinger
Duke of York- Scott Garland
Queen Isabel- Anne van Leeuwen
Northumberland/ Lady- Shalyn McFaul
Lord Ross/Exton/Earl of Salisbury- Laura Hubbard
Bagot/ Bishop of Carlisle- Mo Kamaly
Lord Marshal/Gardener- Zach Adler
Henry Percy- Sam Chappell
Duchess of Gloucester/Lord Berkeley/ Lord Willoughby/Duke of Surrey – Nicole Falgoust