King Lear
September 30, 2007
Theatre Royal Newcastle
June 29th to July 7th
Playing in rep with The Seagull (check box office for details)
When the RSC first played the Theatre Royal the company included actor Ian McKellen and productions directed by Trevor Nunn. Now 30 years later Ian McKellen leads the company with two productions directed by Trevor Nunn. The opening night of this season must be most anticipated evening at the Theatre Royal for several years and there was buzz of excitement from the packed audience, which included Trevor Nunn.
As the lights in the auditorium dimmed and the cast swept on to the stage there was no doubting this was going to be a quality production.
McKellens Lear initially has small but noticeable hand trembles that give us the first signs of the characters fragility, but as he disinherits his youngest daughter his condition worsens. As Lear quarrels with his other daughters he goes out in to a storm accompanied by his “Fool” and his mental state deteriorates as he falls in to madness, each step of the illness is brilliantly portrayed by McKellen.
While this is undoubtedly the RSC best production for some time it is not without controversy over one scene. As Lear descends in to madness, so to does the action as McKellen drops his trousers and puts his shirt over his head revealing he is wearing nothing underneath. While an earlier version of the play with Ian Holm involved complete nudity, we have the bizarre sight of Lear wrapping his head in a shirt as he tries to take if off, while his trousers languish round his ankles. This scene is being changed for the next stop on the tour (Singapore) and the whole production will be better for it. I could only feel pity of Sylvestor McCoy who as Lear’s Fool, has the unfortunate task of hoisting Lears trousers back into place.
Ironically the part of Egdar could justify the nudity (exactly the way McKellen played the part several years ago) but in this production Ben Meyjes retains his dignity in what is best described as a grey nappy.
Leaving this scene aside the rest of the production is virtually flawless with a first rate cast being lead by one our own greatest actors, who is equally at home appearing in films, stage or playing a part in Coronation Street.
Matching McKellans performance is William Guant (remember TVs the Champions?) as Gloucester, who is genuinely moving. The scene in which his eyes are plucked out is both compelling and gruesome.
Frances Barber came into her own as Goneril when she poisoned her sister, however I failed to connect to Regan as I found Monica Dolan to be to flighty.
The set designed by Christopher Oram is magnificent. It looked like a cross between the Theatre Royal Grand Circle itself and the set of Phantom of the Opera. During the storm the set actually starts to decay, leaving us with a mere shadow of its former self, just as Lear was doing the same thing.
The final scene as the dying Lear cradles his dead youngest child, while the bodies of his other two daughters lie at the front of the stage, is extremely moving and is as compelling as theatre gets.
This would be as perfect a King Lear as you could get were it not for the unnecessary nudity, I only hope the audience in Singapore realise how lucky they are
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