The reason for my mirth was the nightmare scene as enacted by Laurence Olivier in his version of Richard III (1955), which used to be screened in a truncated version in a cinema room at the museum.
In John Ashdown-Hill's book The Last Days of Richard III, he gives an account of the King's last night before battle, and questions the authenticity of reports from the Crowland Chronicle (1486) and Polydore Vergil (early 16th century).
From Vergil:
"yt ys reported that king Rycherd had that night a terrible dreame; for he thowght in his slepe that he saw horrible ymages as yt wer of evell spyrytes haunting evidently abowt him, as yt wer before his eyes, and that they wold not let him rest..." (Quoted in Ashdown-Hill, 2011 , page 71).
Ashdown-Hill argues that this uncomfortable nights sleep could have been the result of a number of things including spending the night in an unfamiliar camp bed, and an attack of the sweating sickness.
Whatever the reason, in his film, Olivier does his utmost to ham his interpretation of the night of 21-22 August 1485 to the nth degree as he tosses and turns in his bed.
Judging by Ashdown-Hill's book, King Dick was not the evil caricature of Shakespeare's play, and as a result, Olivier's smoky bacon-flavoured performance seems even more incongruous.
Looking back 30 years to my giggle-fit at Bosworth I reckon my instincts were right!
Further reading: John Ashdown-Hill, 2011, The Last Days of Richard III, The History Press.
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