He doesn’t look like a malign, manipulative, power-hungry, murderous fiend, does he? Even in these rehearsal shots by Marc Brenner, The Hobbit and Sherlock star Martin Freeman looks like an amiable, dependable chap. This all goes to show how deceiving pictures can be.
For what we see here is the transformation from serial doer of good to one of Shakespeare’s most notorious villains as Freeman prepares to play Richard III in the second Trafalgar Transformed season, directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Leaving his past performances behind, Freeman will play the hunchback pretender to the throne who uses cunning, guile and a handy disregard for morality to work his way to the crown. He’s joined in the production, which runs at the Trafalgar Studio 1 from 1 July, by a cast including Gina McKee, Forbes Masson, Maggie Steed and Jo Stone-Fewings.
Trafalgar Transformed Artistic Director Jamie Lloyd will be taking part in a free In Conversation as part of West End LIVE on 21 and 22 June. Find out more and see the full line-up here.