Topic: Richard III

Richard III (1699) is an adapted version of Shakespeare's history play of the same name (1591), reworked for Williamite or Orange audiences by British Poet Laureate Colley Cibber(*6.11.1671 / +11.12.1757).

Some modern catalogues such as ECCO list the play as Cibber's work, others, such as EEBO, offer Shakespeare as the author and reduce Cibber's role to that of an author and theatre expert who simply adapted the play.

Cibber, a noted theatre manager, actor and playwright first attempted to stage his version in 1699. The performance was a disaster. The Master of the Revels censored the entire first act, which Cibber had completely redesigned. Cibber published his version (1700), including the problematic act, with a short note on its suppression; he marked with italics and quotation marks all the passages where Shakespeare had remained as the play's original author.