Everyman is proud to begin its 2010 season with a production of one of Shakespeare's earliest, bloodiest and best-loved plays. It is a play that has showcased the talents of the finest actors in the world over the last 400 years: Richard Burbage, David Garrick, Edmund Kean, Henry Irving, John Barrymore, Lawrence Olivier, Antony Sher and Ian McKellen all secured their considerable reputations in the title role of this play, and now Duncan Ley joins the parade of player kings as the latest incarnation of Shakespeare's infamous bunch-backed toad and bottled spider. To be directed by Duncan Driver, Richard III will explore masculinity and its infamous relationships with violence and power. This isn't however, just a play about men. Keen to avoid the common practice of turning the play into a version of 'Richard's Greatest Hits', Everyman's production will emphasise the way Shakespeare uses the play to stage mighty conflicts, dialogues and confrontations between men and women. Facing off against Duncan Ley in the battle of the sexes will be Alice Ferguson as Margaret of Anjou, Helen McFarlane as Queen Elizabeth and Hannah Ley as Lady Anne.