 | King Lear |  |
"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child!" Act I, scene iv
Written: 1605
Everyman Theatre ; July 22, 2009 Cardiff, UK
Director : James Williams ; Starring :
Reviewed on : 2009-07-22 23:02:18 ; Reviewed by : Helen Prior
| Often proclaimed as Shakespeare's finest work, King Lear is the ultimate in tragedies where no one wins. Good suffers terribly throughout, and Evil gets his well deserved come-uppance, the survivors are left in a state of disarray with no clear indication as to what is to come next and one clearly makes the decision to commit suicide. There is no happy ending, and armed with that fact it does make you wonder why we go and see such productions when we know we'll be leaving the theatre unhappy with the outcome of events. The same can be said for horror films though – why do we put ourselves through such trauma? Although I don't think I can truly answer these questions I can say why I went to see the Everyman Theatre Group's production of the sad tale of a man consumed by his own arrogance, pride and insanity – because I love Shakespeare, and it's clear that the Everyman Theatre Group approach their productions with the same regard which makes their productions all the more enjoyable.
Setting the play in a gothic Victorian style the stage is a simple raised platform with a construction featuring stairs up to a balcony area under which are three arches with hidden entrances behind. The simple but elegant stage is used to its full potential and the few props on it rarely go beyond a chair. This allows the actors to dominate the stage completely, using their own expressive skills rather than relying on props to convey their meaning.
Key performances that stood out for me include the much maligned Edgar (David Aspen) and his bastard brother Edmund (deliciously played by Simon Riordan). The former spends most of the first half in his pyjamas whilst he is pulled this way and that by Edmund, but he really shines out in the second. Choosing to make the most of his lot in determination to find out the cause of the troubles that have befallen him, Aspen’s performance as the equally mad Tom Bedlam so greatly differs from the audience’s initial viewing of Edgar that you could easily mistake him for another actor, but as he discovers his father the Earl of Gloucester (John Atkinson) is also wrapped in the same plight you genuinely share and experience his pain. Edgar’s sorrow at his father’s eventual death – exceptionally dramatic with him walking through a slow motion fight scene - is heartbreaking. On the other side of the coin Simon Riordan is the quintessential bad guy in the role of Edmund. Ingratiating himself with the audience from the very start, he is clearly confident and at ease with his terrible schemes to elevate himself to power, yet with his winning smile and asides to the audience he never entirely loses our respect.
King Lear (Richard Watson who played the part of Edmund in the company’s 1968 production) enters the stage with an outstanding amount of pomp and circumstance. A full choir dressed in white sings his introduction whilst trumpets sound, and although at this stage there are few obvious signs of the madness to come, Watson portrays the aged King’s arrogance and pride with skill. Whether it was intentional or not, one thing I picked up on was how the entrance fanfare sounded ever so slightly flat almost heralding the fact that Lear’s desire to be a monarch was coming to an end.
At the start Watson’s performance reeks of male ego, dressed in his fine military garb, but then as his daughters begin to plot against him and his own sanity slips we see his self-confidence slide down and down. The fall from grace leads him eventually to be running through the English countryside in nothing but his nightshirt and garland wreath around his head. We pity him, but can’t help think of how much he did to bring this upon himself in wanting his daughters to pander to his ego at the start, even though he had already decided on how to split his kingdom, (a point driven home even more by having his speech started off as a proclamation read by a messenger).
Another indication of Lear having already made his decision over his land is the clever use of a painted map of England, Scotland and Wales on the floor at the start of the performance, which pulled apart to show the divides. Lear’s agony over the loss of his truly loving daughter Cordelia (Rebecca Watson, whose other role as a comical servant shows her diverse acting skills) is what kills him in the end, but could it all have been prevented had he not given into his ego?
Pitted against him throughout are the austere and eldest daughter Goneril (Martine Palmer) and the slightly more simpering (to begin with) Regan (Marie-Claire Costley) who carefully hide the malice in them that will soon so openly be displayed. Goneril clearly wear the pants in her relationship, far overshadowing her husband the Duke of Albany (Paul Fanning). Another character who is rotten to the core, she stops at nothing to get what she wants, including sleeping with Edmund, and poisoning her sister, in an attempt to get her own way. She shows no remorse for the fate of her father, but she doesn’t come across as quite so ‘evil’ as Regan.
When Regan and her own deranged husband, the Duke of Cornwall (Paul Rees complete with mad staring eyes) decide to pluck out Gloucester’s eyes the production shifts from being slightly gloomy to downright dark and horrible. The well acted scene involves a fair bit of fake blood and a moment akin to a Tarantino film when Regan appears to pop one of the Earl’s eyes between her fingers – it is disgusting and did result in a good reaction from the audience.
Other notable performances include that of the King’s long-serving man Kent (Laurence Clarke), whose devotion is apparent despite being locked in stocks, badly beaten, and forced to weather the storm that Lear is sent out into, and of course the Fool (Philip Rapier), who I personally wish didn’t vanish for the bulk of the play. Played in a vaudeville style, in keeping with the Victorian feel, the Fool’s madness is contrasted with Lear’s maladies. Although the Fool is in service to the King, Lear comes to depend on him when almost everyone else is turning him away. The Fool is for the most part jovial and pokes fun at his liege, and we can view their relationship as two foolish men who have grown old together and who time is leaving behind.
Everyman have put on a stunning production, which genuinely leaves you with an ache in your heart and shock on your lips, (especially at the sight of Cordelia’s hanged body with the aged King trying to lift her up), but also with enough humour to carry you through to the end without thinking everything is too depressing. This is a thoroughly engaging production which shows Shakespeare at his finest. I heartily applaud the group, and thank them for a fantastic night.
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Sir John Gilbert, R.A.,
Lear and the Fool
Reviews
|  | Royal Shakespeare Company
March 4, 2010 |  | Everyman Theatre
July 22, 2009 |  | Theatre Project Si
November 13, 2008 |  | A Young Vic/Headlong Theatre/Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse co-production
November 5, 2008 | | Shakespeare’s Globe
June 1, 2008 |  | Royal Shakespeare Company
December 5, 2007 |  | Stratford Festival of Canada
August 4, 2007 |  | Goodman Theatre
September 19, 2006 |  | Marin Shakespeare Company
July 8, 2006 |  | Shotgun Players
May 13, 2006 |  | Actors' Shakespeare Project
October 1, 2005 |  | Piven Theatre Workshop
2001 |  | Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
2001 |  | AUN Company
2000 |  | Ninagawa Company/RSC
1999 |
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