Richard III (play) "Hamlet" is shorter than its Quarto counterpart. The play is often abridged; for example, certain peripheral characters are removed entirely. In such instances, extra lines are often invented or added from elsewhere in the sequence to establish the nature of characters' relationships. A further reason for abridgment is that Shakespeare assumed that his audiences would be familiar with his "Henry VI" plays and frequently made indirect references to events in them, such as Richard's murder of Henry VI or the defeat of Henry's wife, Margaret. "House of York" "House of Lancaster" "Woodville family" "Richard III's group" "Earl of Richmond's group"
Acting Shakespeare one-man show, 'A Knight Out' (using the play on word as a result of his being knighted in 1991) but this time focusing, as well as stage roles, his now ever increasing film roles. As with Acting Shakespeare he toured around England, Europe and America to great acclaim. A predecessor of this show's format was Sir John Gielgud's Ages of Man (play) which consisted of Gielgud in front of an audience with a mixture of both speeches and anecdotes. Acting Shakespeare Acting Shakespeare is a one-man show of Shakespearean monologues interspersed with theatrical anecdotes devised and performed by Ian McKellen.