King Lear
Royal Shakespeare Company
BAM Harvey Theatre
April 7, 2018
 |
| Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Academy of Music & Royal Shakespeare Company |
The
Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear, now playing at Brooklyn Academy of Music, is not to be missed. This phenomenal company of actors, under the
direction of Gregory Doran, boldly tells this tragic tale of family loyalty and
personal honor. The events are clearly
woven and build to a sweeping and passionate conclusion. The set and costume design by Niki Turner is
dark and majestic. It satiates the
expansive space of BAM’s Harvey Theatre with stark and stunning, emotion-filled
shapes and images.
King
Lear (played by Antony Sher) decides to divide his kingdom and distribute it to
his three
daughters. He first asks each
of them to declare their love for him. His
eldest daughter, Goneril (played by Nia Gwynne) glibly professes words of
loyalty and devotion. His second
daughter, Regan (played by Kelly Williams) cunningly tops her sister’s
proclamation. His youngest and favorite
daughter, Cordelia (played by Mimi Ndiweni), seeing through the veil in her
sisters’ sentiments, does not reply.
This breaks the heart of the king.
He immediately disowns her, sharing his kingdom between his two “loyal” daughters. When the Earl of Kent (played by Antony
Byrne) speaks in defense of Cordelia, he is banished. Meanwhile, Edmund (played by Paapa Essiedu),
the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester (played by David Troughton), is
plotting against his father and half-brother, Edgar (played by Oliver
Johnstone). When Goneril and Regan turn
their backs on King Lear, he leaves the court out of contempt to them
both. While on his journey, he descends
into madness as he faces his sadness, flaws, and wrong doings. Edmund joins Goneril and Regan to gain power
over the kingdom, as Cordelia finds her father and tries to nurse him back to
health. Unfortunately, they are all too
steeped in dishonor to be redeemed.
 |
| Antony Sher as King Lear Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Academy of Music & Royal Shakespeare Company |
 |
| Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Academy of Music |
In
King Lear William Shakespeare
launches a highly complex plot with varieties and layers of family betrayal. The play clearly illustrates powerful themes
of how love and loyalty are deeper than mere words and trifling action. The older characters (Lear and Gloucester)
are easily swayed by declarations of loyalty from their children and
followers. Their dependents (Goneril,
Regan, and Edgar) know how to manipulate this need to gain favor and power from
their superiors. The younger characters
(Cordelia and Edmund) do not partake in duplicitous gesture, yet stand on their
own integrity and speak from their hearts.
These family stories of love and betrayal are timeless and, although
told through royalty, universal. The
fall from grace in the royal family makes the tragedy highly dramatic, but no
less poignant.
This
production is magnificently conceived and superbly delivered. King
Lear is playing at the BAM Harvey Theatre through April 29. Go see it!
Domenick Danza
No comments:
Post a Comment