BBC to do new Shakespeare series

All the plays in 12 years. Details in the Daily Telegraph.

Could this be the Bosworth Battlefield Site?

In the Leicester Mercury, a report that archaeological investigations suggest a former marsh in Dadlington may be the site of the Battle of Bosworth. Details here.

H/T East Midlands Branch secretary Sally Henshaw via John Ashdown-Hill.

Bosworth Battlefield has a new website

Bosworth Battlefield now has its own website, separate from the Leicestershire County site. It includes information on the controversy over the battle site as well as a preview of the exhibition slated to open December 1.

Server migration

Our webserver is down again. This post will be updated when service is re-established.

UPDATE 1: Our service provider says this may take some time.
UPDATE 2: We are in the process of a server migration. The site should be semi-operational November 4, although there will be a few problems remaining.
UPDATE3: Most pages now display properly; it will take a little longer to make all e-mail addresses, forms, and database-driven applications completely functional.

Dissertation Award Deadline: October 15

Reminder: applications for the Richard III Society American Branch dissertation fellowship award are due Monday, October 15. This annual $30,000 award is supported by the generous bequest of Maryloo Schallek and is administered on behalf of the American Branch by the Medieval Academy of America. More details here.

2008 American Branch Tour

SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL TOUR
FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE RICHARD III SOCIETY

THE RICARDIAN ROVER
Travels with King Richard III

June 16 – June 27, 2008

Ready for a delightfully different travel experience? Then, come join our friendly little band of Ricardians as we explore the England of Richard III! This marvelous tour fits the bill perfectly if you are a sociable person with a keen interest in Richard and in medieval England!

Sites we will visit having associations with Richard III include, among others:

• the castles at Middleham, Carlisle, Warkworth, Framlingham, Barnard Castle and Castle Rising
• the parish churches of Middleham, Sutton Cheney, Fotheringhay and Wingfield
• Lincoln Cathedral
• the city of Norwich with its lovely cathedral
• Walsingham Abbey (still very much a shrine)
• Old Gainsborough Hall (where Richard was once a guest)

You’ll have an entire day at leisure in the wonderful city of York and, of course, we will make our annual pilgrimage to Bosworth Battlefield where Richard lost his crown and his life. Included in this special day will be a stop to hang our annual memorial wreath at Sutton Cheney church, and an opportunity to view the fascinating medieval village of Ambion Parva being constructed by medieval methods adjacent to the Battlefield Centre.

More details here.

YouTube: Peter Sellers as R3

Peter Sellers does a dead-on imitation of Laurence Olivier as Richard III, reciting the lyrics to "A Hard Day's Night":

Puzzled by this? For comparison, here's Olivier reciting the lyrics to "Now is the winter of our discontent."

In Memoriam

PLANTAGENET--Richard, Remember before God, Richard
III, King of England and of those who fell on Bosworth
Field, having kept faith, 22 August, 1485. Loyaulte me
lie.
http://www.r3.org

Published in the New York Times on 8/22/2007.

The American Branch's annual in memoriam notice in the
New York Times can be viewed here:

http://www.legacy.com/NYTimes/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=93074332

Viewers can sign the online guestbook at the New York Times site, or add comments here.

Richard III in Worcester MA -- Annual Meeting (update)

From the Worcester Telegram-Gazette, a review of the new Redfeather production of Richard III.

(Reminder: The Richard III Society American Branch is holding its Annual General Meeting in Worcester, September 28-30. Details here.)

Bosworth re-enactment weekend cancelled

Leicestershire County Council announces that the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Bosworth, August 18-19, has been cancelled because of waterlogged ground.

UPDATE: More news:

• progress on improvements to Battlefield site;
• Battlefields Trust summer 2007 update on field study. This page has links to downloadable study.

Tewkesbury Abbey Flooding Update

Water has entered Tewkesbury Abbey, near the site of the 1471 battle where Richard III fought valiantly, for the first time since 1760. The staff of the Abbey is keeping it open throughout the flood and is posting photos and updates here.
[UPDATE, July 27: According to the Rev. Canon Paul Williams, the abbey and town are now entering the "reclamation" phase.]

Richard III as inspiration for You-Know-Who? Say it isn't so!

For Richard III's defenders, comparisons with Voldemort are déjà vu all over again

As fans of Harry Potter all over the world are savoring the back-to-back release of the latest film and the last book in the series, members of the Richard III Society are shaking their heads over a comparison of the last medieval English king to Lord Voldemort, the incarnation of evil in the Harry Potter series.

"When he wrote Richard III, Shakespeare created a character that everyone loves to hate," remarked Dr. Philip T. Stone, chair of the Richard III Society, headquartered in London. "We're used to columnists comparing the bad guy of the day to Richard – and the character has been parodied by everyone from Monty Python to Blackadder. But for a scholar to say that Richard was the inspiration for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, possibly the pre-eminent villain of the cinema this summer? That's hardly fair."

Stone is referring to a theory that Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling drew on Shakespeare's depictions of Henry V and Richard III as the inspiration for Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in the later and darker books in the series. "We have enough trouble making the distinction between the dramatic Richard and the real Richard without adding Voldemort to the mix."

The scholar behind the theory, Professor Kathryn Jacobs of Texas A & M University, sees strong parallels between a scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where he is aided by the spirits of Voldemort's victims, and a dream sequence at the end of Richard III, in which Richard's victims curse him and bless his opponent the night before the battle of Bosworth Field. Writing in the online journal, Borrowers and Lenders, Jacobs also sees other parallels between Voldemort and Richard: "physical deformity, a trail of blood, tortured egoism, and an inability to take seriously his youthful opponent."

And therein lies the rub, according to Wayne Ingalls, who chairs the Society's American Branch. "Anyone who wants to look at a nuanced picture of the historical Richard III faces the constant struggle against Shakespeare's play." According to Ingalls, Society members who attempt to talk about Richard's real accomplishments as a soldier, administrator, leader and ruler, must contend with the physical and moral deformities Shakespeare gave him -- his hump, his seductive amorality, and his frenetic activity as he does away with most of his immediate family -- and a few friends and supporters into the bargain.

The real Richard, in contrast, had a solid reputation for loyalty, skill in commanding and inspiring troops in battle, and a keenly-honed sense of fair play in his administration of the north of England over a ten-year period before assuming the throne. Few scholars today would agree to the list of murders and extortions heaped on Richard's reputation after his death. Even the central charge, that he did away with his young nephews, aged 12 and 9, is subject to lively debate. The Richard III Society, with more than 3,000 members worldwide, seeks to broaden awareness of the historical Richard III through a variety of activities ranging from the placing of memorials to the support of research and study of fifteenth-century England. Along the way it sponsors member gatherings, lectures and tours, publications, and the conservation of historic sites and artifacts.

So how seriously does the Society take this new threat from the wizarding world? With a bit of a philosophical shrug. "The 'Voldemort is based on Richard III' theory is in an online journal and knowledge of it isn't all that widespread at the moment," says Stone, although he notes that a growing number of graduate students are including the link in their blogs and personal pages. "On the other hand, now that the last Potter book has been written, it's likely that the series will receive more attention from scholars of popular culture, as well. Or the theory could leap from the student blogs to general fandom. So we'll see."

In the U.S., Ingalls hopes the American Branch may be able to settle the question by going right to the source. "One of our members, who lives in Nevada, told us that her grandson won an essay contest and is traveling to England to spend some time with the author. She has e-mailed and asked him to ask Rowling if Voldemort really was modeled on Richard." No answer yet.

Finally, says Stone, things could have been much worse. "At least, no one's yet suggesting that Richard III was the model for Tolkien's dark lord, Sauron." For this he is grateful.

For additional information on the Richard III Society, visit http://www.richardiii.net/ or http://www.r3.org/

Richard III in Worcester MA - Annual Meeting

Redfeather Theatre will be mounting a production of Shakespeare's Richard III in Worcester, MA from August 1-19, 2007.

And the Richard III Society, American Branch has selected Worcester MA as the site for its Annual General Meeting, which will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn September 28-30, 2007. Plans for the three-day event include a tour of the Higgins Armory, a keynote address by Lorraine C. Attreed, professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, a banquet in medieval garb, and a look at Richard III in fiction. [details, register online]

Archaeological Dig at Leicester Burial Site

Word has reached us that the University of Leicester may be conducting an archaeological examination of portions of the site of Greyfriars, Leicester, where the remains of Richard III were buried following his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. These excavations have the potential to yield information about a site in which all Ricardians have a great interest.

We understand that the Richard III Society (meaning in this case the parent organization in England) is in contact with the appropriate authorities about this important project.

Richard III Society, American Branch

Website status: server, e-mail, member listserv and forum went down yesterday (Saturday, June 9) and still have not been restored. Our volunteer tech support guru has filled out a support ticket and we hope that it will be restored shortly. (EDIT: Service restored, June 11, 2007.)

This blog is being set up for two reasons. One: it allows us to have an alternative means of getting the word out if there is an issue with our website and other electronic communications. Two, it is a more easily-maintained source of news on American Branch programs and other activities than our website, allowing several people to contribute without any particular technical skills.

For its launch period, membership to the blog will restricted -- currently, only the blog owner can post, but additional posters may be authorized. We are experimenting with opening comments to the public, but reserve the right to remove postings as necessary. See disclaimer at bottom of page for guidelines.