1 King 2 Princes & Shakespeare’s Lie

Written and performed by Andrew Slade

Was Richard III really one of England’s most notorious villains – or the victim of one of history’s most successful smear campaigns?

Written and performed by Andrew Slade, 1 King, 2 Princes and Shakespeare’s Lie is a compelling one-man theatrical investigation into the life, reign and enduring reputation of Richard III.

More than five centuries after his death at the Battle of Bosworth, Richard returns to challenge the version of history that transformed him into a murderous usurper: the deformed, scheming tyrant immortalised by William Shakespeare.

But how much of that story is actually true?

Combining drama, historical research, humour and direct audience engagement, the production places Richard himself in the witness box. He presents the evidence, challenges the accusations and asks his audience to look beyond Shakespeare and the Tudor version of events.

And at the end, there is only one jury that matters – you.

The King behind the villain

Shakespeare gave the world an unforgettable Richard III: manipulative, physically twisted and prepared to murder anyone standing between himself and the throne.

Andrew Slade’s Richard tells a rather different story.

He takes the audience beyond the legend to examine the man, his achievements and the contemporary evidence surrounding his short reign. Richard reminds us of his reputation for justice in the north of England and of legal reforms intended to protect ordinary people, while questioning how the monstrous figure familiar to generations came to dominate our understanding of him.

Was Richard really the villain – or did history simply need one?

Two Princes, five centuries of mystery

At the heart of Richard’s reputation lies one of the great mysteries of British history: the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

Richard was blamed for the deaths of his nephews, yet the case against him is far less straightforward than popular history might suggest.

The production scrutinises the evidence, its sources and some intriguing inconsistencies in the accepted story – including accounts written long after Richard’s death and details surrounding the supposed discovery of the princes’ remains.

Rather than offering another convenient version of events, the play asks the audience to consider what can actually be proved.

Shakespeare’s lie?

History is written by the victors – and Richard III lost.

Following Richard’s death in 1485, Henry VII established the Tudor dynasty. More than a century later, Shakespeare created the Richard who would become one of theatre’s greatest villains.

But Shakespeare was writing drama, not documentary history.

1 King, 2 Princes and Shakespeare’s Lie explores the extraordinary power of storytelling, propaganda and political self-interest to turn allegation into accepted fact.

The play asks questions that feel remarkably contemporary: who controls the narrative, who benefits from it – and how easily can a compelling story become “the truth”?

You decide the verdict

For 50 minutes Richard presents his defence directly to the audience, moving between historical evidence, Shakespeare’s words and his own passionate account of the events that defined his life.

Then the court of history is handed over to you.

Audience members are given voting cards and asked to deliver their verdict. Has Richard proved his case? Was he the ruthless murderer history remembers – or has one of England’s most controversial kings been condemned by more than 500 years of propaganda?

Every audience becomes the jury. Every performance can deliver its own verdict.