As Martin Freeman prepares for the press night of Richard III, we’ve been offered an insight into what the Sherlock star looks like as the tyrannical monarch.
We’re not sure what we were expecting from an actor who is so notoriously nice on screen, but Marc Brenner’s intriguing production shots are unsettling to say the least.
Gone is any trace of the reluctant Hobbit, no more loveable Tim from The Office, goodbye trusty Dr Watson, this is Freeman at his most terrifying and treacherous.
Gone, too, is any evidence of the play’s historic setting, as Shakespeare’s tale appears to have been transported forward several centuries for Jamie Lloyd’s latest Trafalgar Transformed production. But then again, that isn’t surprising given the fluorescent pink and yellow that has been brandished across the show’s posters.
The Bard’s history play, which sees Freeman joined in the cast by Gina McKee, Forbes Masson, Maggie Steed and Jo Stone-Fewings, opens tomorrow and will play at the Trafalgar Studio 1 until 27 September. For a sneaky peek, take a look at our gallery above.