A hunched, hooded man  trudges onto the stage dressed in doublet and hose.  It doesn’t take the dramatic opening line, ‘Now is the winter of our discontent,’ to tell us that this is Richard III: last Plantaganet king and infamous child murderer, a man consigned to history as a legendary villain thanks to the help of the rival Tudor dynasty and our most famous bard -William Shakespeare.

King Richard, portrayed quite superbly throughout by Andrew Slade (also writer of the piece), spends the next 50 minutes taking the audience through the case for his defence; his achievements as king (the introduction of legal aid and the concept of bail being notable examples), a suspenseful and dramatic narrative of the battle of Bosworth and the background to his two nephews – Ned and Dickon who according to later history, he supposedly murdered.

No contemporary writers ever claimed that they were dead during Richard’s reign and the infamous stair in the Tower of London hadn’t even been built at that time! Throwing doubt on all the established theories, questioning the myths, and debunking some of the evidence, it’s very interesting material which is delivered with gravitas and feeling.

Slade’s stage presence is phenomenal and he immediately captures the audience’s attention with his theatrical pauses and beautiful intonation. The dialogue moves seamlessly from a conspiratorial chatty tone to at times more melancholic reflection, as he reminds us that history is shaped by those who speak the loudest and argues that King Henry VII changed the past to justify his own future.

Finally, the audience gets to deliver its own verdict – is he guilty or not? Brandishing cards with white roses for the Yorkists and red roses for the Lancastrians, it’s then reminiscent of an episode of Ready Steady Cook, but the audience is resoundingly Plantaganet after what is a very memorable and electrifying performance

It’s hard to believe that this is a return to the stage for Slade after a seven-year break. His acting is superb and this is a jewel of piece. For history lovers and conspiracy lovers alike, this is a fascinating and dramatic glimpse into Britain’s turbulent past.