By William Shakespeare.

Richard Eyre introduces a new production starring Samuel West in the title role. The play raises the questions as to whether Richard is the "heinous" king, the spendthrift who surrounds himself with toadying cronies, or whether he is noble and misunderstood. It explores whether his deposition and murder is a tragedy which sparks off the bloody conflict of the Wars of the Roses, or whether it is a just punishment for his excesses.

BBC Radio Collection cassettes and CDs of As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Richard II, Henry IV, Parts One and Two are available now