Helen Castor on Richard II
Biography show where the guest picks the life - today the English king deposed by his cousin and made famous by Shakespeare in his play Richard II.
Today's great life is possibly more famous as a Shakespearean character - King Richard II who was deposed by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke in 1399. He's been chosen by historian Helen Castor, author of The Eagle and the Hart, who shines a light on what really happened towards the end of his reign. Also helping is Professor Emma Smith who explains why the play was a hit two hundred years later under Elizabeth I.
With archive of John Hurt as Richard and David Suchet as his cousin and usurper, Henry Bolingbroke.
The producer for BBC Studios Audio in Bristol is Miles Warde
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Broadcasts
- Mon 18 Aug 202515:00BBC Radio 4
- Tue 19 Aug 202521:30BBC Radio 4
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Great Lives
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.



