Richard III cathedral protests called off

A PERFORMANCE of Shakespeare’s Richard III at Leicester Cathedral went ahead without any protests taking place.

Instead, campaigners who said the ‘Tudor propaganda’ play should be scrapped left leaflets on the seats of audience members at the Cathedral last Wednesday night (July 19).

Members of the Richard III Society consider the Bard’s play inaccurately paints the last Plantagenet king as a child-killing despot, and had been against it being performed inside the cathedral just yards from the 15th century monarch’s remains.

In a public debate about the show, historian Philippa Langley and other campaigners called on the cathedral to pick a different venue for the sold-out touring show.

The society said in an open letter to the cathedral: “The staging of Shakespeare’s defamatory play beside the king’s grave is not an appropriate or Christian act, and directly contravenes not only your own commitment to rebury the king with dignity and honour, but also your public acceptance to keep the remains safely, privately and decently.”

The society had planned a demonstration outside the cathedral but it was called off after the cathedral allowed the society to provide flyers, to be given to all audience members, about why the play is not an accurate representa- tion of Richard III.

Joanne Larner, who has been involved in the campaign, said: “We have agreed to put flyers on the seats for the audience rather than do anything else.

“We also lit a candle for Richard in the cathedral and laid a large bunch of white roses.”

Richard III, the last King of England to be killed in battle, died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth. His remains were brought to Leicester.

They were recovered from Greyfriars car park in 2012 and he was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral.