In the performances we've discovered that
when there are two references to the town of Leicester,
you can hear the audience go, Oh,
that's where he was buried in the car park.
So we're right next to the site where Richard's remains were discovered
back in 2012
and our exhibition tells the story of who was Richard III.
And the amazing story of his discovery in a car park.
We are parked over there. I can see the car there.
But this is.... It's where Richard was found, yeah.
So that's the famous kind of car park down there.
So, part of our exhibition includes that part of the archeological trench
where Richard's skeletal remains were found in 2012.
Come on, let's find his grave, go on.
Well, I found one already.
Ok, alright.
I don't seem to have any effect at all though.
I'd have given up you see.
It needs the finesse, you see.
Yeah. Too heavy handed.
And we've also preserved that part of trench one where the remains were found.
So you can look down through
the glass floor and see where Richard was buried in 1485.
and then when he was later discovered over 500 years later.
I always rather like Richard III
because I think Shakespeare makes a great character out of him.
Shakespeare's character is amazing, you know, so compelling to watch,
but he's an out and out villain.
Whereas, you know, in real life, people are more nuanced.
They're more shades of grey than black and white.
It was great being able to see the visitor's centre.
I wanted to put rings around...
Shakespeare, wrote a play about this king and that king this king.
Henry IV wicked usurper,
Henry V great warrior King
Henry VI therefore, weak sickly king,
Richard III baddie.
There's almost a play in where
they should all meet at some dinner party, isn't there.
And discuss how they've been pigeon boxed.
Yeah!
After spending the last eight, nine months with Shakespeare's
Richard to finally be in the site where he was found, it's fantastic.
And to see the shape of Richard himself.
We do have a 3D printed copy of his skeleton and in particular his spine.
So you can see the scoliosis, which of course, is such a famous
part of Richard's story.
Ah ha! Is this it?
Wow, wow!
It's not just the S, but the twist, like you say, that corkscrew, isn't it?
It's quite.
He must have been in considerable pain.
Wow.
I think perhaps those who are discovering it, were not expecting
actually to discover the level
of disability that that man suffered.
Looking at the corkscrew twist
of that spine and learning about the idiopathic adolescent
onset scoliosis
and just what pain
that must have caused that young man.
My admiration for Richard has gone up exponentially.
It's so interesting that historical Richard and Shakespeare's Richard
are two very different things and these historical details
are lovely flavors to to add in creating this.
Richard, for the stage.
One of the things that I found very interesting was how the epitaph
that Henry VII has apparently placed basically begins all that ridiculous
act of vengeance in terms of making it all Richard's responsibility.
So this is what Henry had put on his tomb,
He's actually challenging his right to the throne here.
Before, most people's perception of Richard is
shaped by that Shakespeare play.
And, you know, love it or hate it.
That's pretty much what we thought of Richard III
was the character in the play.
And now, of course, we've got the information
that came from the analysis of the remains about his scoliosis.
You know, the fact that he did actually have a spinal disability
and you know, how did that shape how he thought of himself as a person
in a time when disability was treated very differently?
As a disabled actor, to have that as fact and to,
you know, know that this was a famous disabled king,
I think that confirmation, that fact, is something important for me
to be playing this very famous disabled part who,
not enough, is played by a disabled actor.
I've spent a lot of time understanding the psychological shape of him,
and as a disabled actor, kind of the physical shape of him
was just, I'm just gonna let my body do the talking, there.
So to come here and see with my own eyes
how Richard was shaped, really brought it to life in 3D.