And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

It's a pitch-perfect opening to a stunning, must-see event—perhaps the crown jewel (so far) in Lantern's splendid Shakespeare series.

We are in Satanic times, all right. Tudor enlightenment awaits, but for now England is in the bloody hands of the Yorks, and the power-hungry Richard is anything but a divine countenance. As Shakespeare has it, he's deformed, depraved and vicious, personally responsible for the deaths of men, women and (famously) a pair of children. RIII may not be the Bard's highest body count (that distinction belongs to Titus Andronicus), but for the protagonist's sheer enjoyment of cruelty, it's unrivaled.

This may be dubious history—a number of prominent academics have set out to rescue the real Richard's reputation—but it's a helluva play. And a difficult one to do. The plot thickens to pea-soup consistency, and then thickens more. It can be difficult to tell the players apart without a program, and the title role requires the most delicate balance between horror and charm.

In all respects, Lantern pulls it off, starting with the key element of Richard himself. It's a surprise part for Pete Pryor, whom we traditionally associate with comedy, but he triumphs in it. There are comic elements to Richard, and of course Pryor handles them superbly (his standup background makes him especially effective in soliloquies to the audience), but he's also as scary as hell. There's a hint of Anthony-Hopkins-as-Hannibal-Lector here (note the leather-trussed arm and leg, not the only S&M resonance onstage), and Pryor's performance makes a similar effect.

It's not just Pryor's show. An excellent eight-member cast surrounds him, with all actors playing multiple roles. Some of the doubling stretches these forces, but more of it actually makes storytelling points of its own.

Production values are small-scale—bent pipes serve as furniture and modern costuming prevails—yet there is splendor to the look and action. For that, praise Charles McMahon, who has given us a Shakespeare history that is hugely gripping from start to finish (the final theatrical coup, courtesy of McMahon and lighting designer Janet Embree, is a knockout).

Hurrah to all concerned! My kingdom for more Shakespeare like this!

RICHARD III Through April 30, Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen's Theater, 10th and Ludlow sts., 215-829-9002