Richard II

King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written and performed in approximately 1595, first published in 1597.

The earliest recorded performance was a private one on 9 December 1595, and another private one is recorded at the Globe Theatre on 7 Feb. 1601.

On 30 September 1607 an early performance occurred abroad when the crew of Capt. William Keeling acted Richard II aboard the British East India Company ship The Red Dragon, off Sierra Leone.

Jill Fletcher (1991) argues from the above (and other accounts?) that the very first recorded European production in the Southern African region was a version of this play done off the coast of the Cape of Storms some time in 1608, once again on board "The Red Dragon" by Captain Keeling and his men.

First performed on land in South Africa in 18*. Translated