Saved events

Richard III (15)

Shakespeare on Screen

Richard III

A spell-binding cast revive the story of one of Shakespeare's most Machiavellian antiheroes, with Ian McKellen in the titular role, supported by Annette Benning, Jim Broadbent and Maggie Smith.

It is the 1930s, and a long and bloody civil war has divided the nation as two powerful families battle for the crown. The end of the war comes suddenly when the reigning King and his heir are killed by the Commander-in-Chief of the York faction, Richard of Gloucester (Ian McKellen).

Richard's elder brother, Edward (John Wood), takes the throne, establishing a shaky peace over the nation. But Richard, shunning the dreary calm of peacetime, turns his attention to a new, private war within the House of York. Brother to a sickly King and Lord Protector to a vulnerable young heir, he sets in motion a murderous plot to divide his family, eliminate his rivals and usurp the throne.

UK/US 1995 Dir Richard Loncraine 110 min

See more film for less

Get 20% off tickets and pay no booking fees. Plus, enjoy priority booking and £6 Members’ Screenings of the latest films every Sunday (T&Cs apply)

Barbican Cinema 2