Richard 2^nd, Act 3, Scene 3; Mr Ryder as Bolingbroke. Mr Kean as King Richard

Photograph of a recreation of Act 3, Scene 3 from William Shakespeare's play Richard II as performed at the Princess's Theatre, Oxford Street. The scene is set in Flint Castle and depicts John Ryder as Henry Bolingbroke kneeling in front of Richard II, played by Charles Kean. A clergyman stands on the left and a soldier holding an axe stands on the right.

This photograph documents Charles Kean's production of Richard II, with Kean in the title role. The production was shown at Princess's Theatre, London, where Kean presented many adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. The plays were distinguished for their elaborate scenery and attention to detail that included historically authentic costumes and music. Queen Victoria saw Kean's production of Richard II five times (Royal Archives reference VIC/MAIN/Z/115). A hand coloured set of photographs of this production by the photographer Laroche were presented to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert for Christmas in 1857.