In our latest Pearl Insider, we provide a list of movies to watch and books to read to further your enlightenment of the British Monarchy and Shakespeare. Since our newsletter can only provide us with so much space to share, we thought we’d give you our extended Royal Watch List. Here is the first part of our extended Royal Watch List.

Movies

The Queen (2006)
Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen portrays Elizabeth and the royal family’s reactions after the death of Princess Diana.

Looking for Richard (1996)
In this documentary, Al Pacino and several fellow actors examine Shakespeare’s Richard III and its history through discussion and dramatizations from the play.

A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Sir Thomas More, motivated by his Roman Catholic faith, stands up to Henry VIII  who wants to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to marry Anne Boleyn. With Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, and Vanessa Redgrave.

The Young Victoria (2009)
Queen Victoria, portrayed by Emily Blunt, ascends the throne at the age of 18. The movie shows her tough relationship with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and her romance with Prince Albert.

Additional recommendations include: Elizabeth R (1971) a miniseries starring Glenda Jackson about Queen Elizabeth I, Monarchy with David Starkey (2004) a documentary miniseries about the history of the English Crown from 400 AD, and The Tudors (2007) a dramatization of Henry VIII and his many marriages.

Richard II explores the history and relations of the Plantagenet family line. To help understand the dynamics and relationships within Shakespeare’s play we’ve created this royal family tree.

Click here to enlarge

The Pearl was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal about the first company read through of Richard II.  Here are a few highlights from the article.

“The cast comprises a mix of core company members who have performed together many times over the course of many years and guest artists — mostly veterans of the city’s theater community — who have been imported just for this production. ‘There’s a lot of hope in the room and a lot of adrenaline,’ noted Mr. Sullivan. ‘Friendships renewed. New friendships made…’”

“If it was sort of like the first day of school, then Sean McNall, who plays Richard II, was the popular upper-classman…Like any cool kid, Mr. McNall possessed hidden insecurities. ‘Everybody’s looking at those of us carrying the bulk of the action,’ he said. ‘There’s an over-compensation in order to not betray your nerves. You get Zen-like.’”

“I’ve seen actors phoning it in or being chill up until the dress rehearsal,” [Wayne] Carr said, noting that Mr. McNall was ‘emotional and vulnerable right away — like a good king, or lead actor, should.’”

To read the full article, click here or view the jpeg copy we have below.

The full Wall Street Journal article on The Pearl's Richard II.