Romanian theater director Silviu Purcarete has staged several plays in this country before, but now he's working with an all-Japanese cast for the first time as he prepares to present his brand-new "Richard III" at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in Ikebukuro from Oct. 18 to 30, ahead of a three-city tour.

In his more than 30-year directing career, this is the Bucharest native's second stab at Shakespeare's tale of murderous dynastic scheming for the throne of England, likely written in 1591. That, of course, was barely a century after the 1483-85 reign of the titular Plantagenet monarch he demonized, who fell in battle with foes from the Tudor dynasty that took over.

The 67-year-old director spoke with The Japan Times about his production at a downtown Tokyo studio following rehearsals with his 15 male actors, some of whom play female roles, and the veteran actress Misako Watanabe, who plays a scribe.