Occasionally I'm asked to defend my obsession with theatre-going (nobody told me interests were limited to a certain number of times/hours a week). Most recently because I was seeing the RSC's Richard II for a second time in just a few weeks.

Going to the theatre a lot and repeat viewings require two different responses and as the comment was in response to the latter on this occasion, I'll address that one. My stock response is you wouldn't watch your favourite DVD or listen to your favourite album only once.

OK so watching a DVD or listening to music doesn't take a massive amount of commitment other than a bit of time but with repeated viewings of a play it normally falls into two categories. Either its the play/cast combo and I know I'll regret only booking to see one performance or I just enjoyed it so much I have to see it again.

Richard II is a play I love and David Tennant is always a treat to watch performing Shakespeare. There is a particular joy in seeing a play twice and in quick succession because every performance is unique and you inevitable notice new and different things the second time. For this particular performance there was the added incentive of a Q&A with some of the cast afterwards.

Knowing where the cast and director has taken a play means you can look out for other things. For instance the part of Aumerle (Oliver Rix) is rendered far more significant by his actions at the end of this particular production and that character's gestures and reactions, in the earlier parts,  become all the more interesting on a second viewing as a result.