Richard II, King of England, is charming, clever, and articulate—but also disastrously unfit to rule. Convinced of his divine right to the throne, he governs with entitlement rather than wisdom, steering the country toward ruin. Enter his cousin, Henry Bullingbrook, a pragmatic and natural leader who returns from his exile in France demanding his inheritance—and challenging Richard’s grip on power. “What we see in front of us is a psychological study of extraordinary sensitivity, lucidity and insight,” writes Helen Castor, reviewing the show in The Telegraph. Jonathan Bailey, best known for his romantic role in Bridgerton, stars as Shakespeare’s Richard II. Nicholas Hytner directs. —Jeanne Malle