The Colorado Shakespeare Festival production of Shakespeare’s history shines with timely relevance, strong direction and an excellent cast.

See if this sounds familiar: A weak, silly king tries to settle a dispute between two noblemen by first having them fight a duel. Nope, wait, changed my mind: You’re both banished! Thomas Mowbray, forever, and for Bolingbroke, 10 years. No, wait, make it six years because his dad, John of Gaunt, looks rather sad and I like that guy. Excellent guy, one of the best. Now let me get back to admiring myself in my robes in my most excellent castle – best one ever! No, wait, I’m going to go make war in Ireland – be right back!

This capricious, narcissistic king is Richard II, the subject of the first of Shakespeare’s Henriad series, which includes Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 and Henry V. I saw this one when the Colorado Shakespeare produced it back in 2013, and it’s back this summer, inside, in a streamlined and much more enjoyable production directed by Tim Orr, CSF’s producing artistic director.

From left: Jordan Coughtry (Bolingbroke), Jordan Pettis (Aumerle), and Karen Slack (Duchess of York) in ‘Richard II.’ | Photo: Jennifer Koskinen

Talk about a game of thrones – this one is full of noble maneuvering, treachery and plain-old stupidity as Richard makes a series of blunders that ultimately land him crownless and, a little later, rather dead.

Scenic Designer Matthew S. Crane’s austere, multi-level set is an imposing and practical playing area able to accommodate the castle and several other locations. Innovative lighting by Eric Norbury comes from all angles, including highlights embedded in the set and an enormous LED circle above the stage.

We first see Richard (Kevin Rich) majestically descending stone stairs from on high with Queen Isabel (Madison Taylor) — and before he speaks a line, we have a pretty good idea that Richard truly enjoys the trappings of the king.

Richard II features an excellent cast of familiar CSF faces. Rich is at the top of his game portraying a man so over his head and oblivious to what’s going on around them that when it all goes south, he’s utterly surprised. But that’s far from the climax: Shakespeare’s main interest with this history is not so much palace intrigue as it is an exploration of what it means to be stripped of power to become a mere mortal. Richard has really bought into the whole “God appointed me” thing, and he must work through his downfall in a couple of powerful soliloquies decrying his fate.

Brik Berkes as York in ‘Richard II.’ At right, Shunté Lofton (Willoughby), Sean Scrutchins (Ross) and Sam Sandoe (Northumberland). | Photo: Jennifer Koskinen

A troubled king

Richard II is written almost entirely in verse, giving it a rhymical vibe that almost runs counter to its serious subject matter. The action kicks off at the end of his troubled rein, and he’s surrounded by grasping nobles with various axes to grind. By banishing Bolingbroke (an excellent Jordan Coughtry), he turns a former ally into a bitter foe who doesn’t stay exiled for long.

As Dramaturg Heidi Schmidt points out in her program notes, the period in which Richard II is set caps off a rein that started at age 10 and survived a period of turmoil that ended with him being stripped of much of his power. Grievances left over from those days perhaps fuel his shoot-from-the-hip governing style and set him up for his eventual fall.

When Richard unwisely sails off to suppress the Irish, it sets up the return of Bolingbroke and his supporters and, consequently, opens up plenty of opportunity for the players to explore the boundaries of loyalty and greed. At the heart of much of it is Richard’s uncle, the Duke of York, played here masterfully by Brik Berkes. Left in charge by Richard, York is a tormented soul ultimately swayed to Bolingbroke’s side as the tide turns against the king.

Ellen McLaughlin, who’s portraying Prospera in the concurrent CSF production of The Tempest, has fun with multiple roles here. We first see her as the wizened John of Gaunt, and later as a gossipy gardener overheard laying out how things stand in England as the Queen eavesdrops in horror.

Matt Zambrano as the Bishop of Carlisle. | Photo: Jennifer Koskinen

Matt Zambrano initially plays the pugnacious Thomas Mowbray, who doesn’t survive his exile. But Zambrano returns in a meatier role as the Bishop of Carlisle standing, perhaps unwisely, by Richard. Another welcome and familiar face is that of Karen Slack, whose scene as the Duchess of York trying to save her son from death is memorable indeed.

Another shout-out goes to Costume Designer Sarah Zinn, who offsets traditional noble finery with some modern ensembles that nicely match the characters wearing them. This production is set in its original period, and it’s a clever choice to mix in some present-day touches. Sound Designer Max Silverman also has his say with a series of interesting modern music bits for the entr’actes.

It’s not often we get the chance to see one of Shakespeare’s histories in a professional production in Colorado. Typically, they’re sidelined in favor of the crowd-pleasing comedies. But Tim Orr’s treatment of Richard II breathes vivid life into a tight script that squeezes the original five acts into two and makes for a rich exploration of a fascinating bit of English history.

As we watch the rise of Bolingbroke and the demise of Richard, it’s fascinating to see a man so consumed with entitlement as Richard. Rich is utterly convincing, and his soliloquies reflecting on the loss of power and his reduced state actually inspire sympathy. He may not be a man of the people, but it’s hard not to feel something for someone who’s lost it all.

Meanwhile, Bolingbroke — who’s crowned Henry IV during the play — is more at ease with the regular folk and values smarts and skill to govern. Watching this unfold, it’s impossible not to reflect on the unchanging nature of humans, specifically those who would rule. Hubris and ridiculous notions of divine rights or other imaginary powers never seem to hold up for long. In Richard II, Shakespeare colors in the finer details of what unchecked power looks like for the king — as well as the costs of political conflict.