Theatre Now Review: On The Screen – King Lear [National Theatre Live]

Con’s Score: 4.5 Alaks

Alak! The brilliant Sir Ian McKellen treads the boards again and chose to have another crack at Lear in a more ‘intimate way’ in this National London Theatre production. So they chose a small 240-seat Chichester Festival Theatre with a ramp through the centre to get the audience up close to this bloody play, which the producers would have hated, as it sold out fast. With the number of arrogant autocrats in the world today, it’s still contemporary.

The play is set in the 1950s. The men are in suits and the women in gowns when the daughters are asked Trump-like to profess their love for their fiesty father. Goneril (Claire Price) and Regan (Kirsty Bushell) lavish him with praise but when Cordelia (Anita-Joy Uwajeh) doesn’t go the full golden shower of praise, she’s banished, as is Kent, played with great relish by Sinead Cusak. The kingdom is comically divided in two with a pair of scissors, and the King expects his daughters to look after him and his knights.

Meanwhile, Edmund (James Corrigan) the bastard son of the Duke of Gloucester (Danny Webb) spins a lie to his father that Edgar (Luke Thompson) his natural son, is plotting to kill their father for the money and tells him to go into hiding. Meanwhile, the daughters are plotting to stop their father partying at their places with his fifty knights. Fair enough. They’re a noisy rabble but it’s hard to believe the neighbours are complaining when they’re a few thousand acres away. Lear is angry and racks off ranting into the rainy night. Meanwhile, Cordelia is making a comeback with a French army, so you know it’s not going to end well.

It’s classic Shakespeare, full of men full of folly, wicked women and lots of gore. The eyeball extraction of Gloucester is an uncomfortable scene, even though we’re spared the details. But such is the power of this production, we feel it.

Sir Ian McKellen is on fire, without fanning the flames. He knows how to play Lear through his hubris, his rejection, his madness and redemption. He knows how to play the humour, the darkness and the craziness with brilliant subtlety. The loud voices and fury is left to other actors who try to match his intensity. McKellen achieves it through fragility. He loves his Shakespeare and finds new nuances, although the bawdy stuff gets a good run. It’s so good to watch such fine acting without having it hit you over the head.

Only Webb as Gloucester gets close. Corrigan plays Edmund as purely Machiavellian, and Kirsty Bushell has fun with Regan. She prances, squeals thrusts herself around in a very repulsive way, but that’s the effect she wants. She’s pure evil. Corrigan is great as Edgar and only Lloyd Thompson as the Fool isn’t as strong. Some weak choices were made there as generally the support cast are all strong, particularly Uwajeh as Cordelia.

Director Johnathan Mumby has slicked up the production with dramatic blackouts, light effects, real rain and quick changes. It helps the 220 minutes (including interval) pass by. With a cast like this, he could have sat back and been in awe, but he’s been busy. It might not be enjoyed by traditionalists, but the more modern setting is effective.

(Traditionalists might also be upset by the number of people who pull out their mobiles during a long film, answering texts and taking photos of the screen?!? Seems like selfish and clueless is the new black. Rant over.)

I never understood Shakespeare’s choice of a tragic ending when the reality was just as satisfying. Perhaps it’s because the tragedy is so palpable in this production. It’s more personal than political, and it’s more than moving.

Lear with Sir Ian McKellen. Those five words should be enough. Your expectations will be exceeded.

Con Nat’s – Theatre Now: On The Screen