Theatre News

Brian Blessed plays King Lear opposite daughter

The production in Guildford marks the first time Blessed has played the role

Brian and Rosalind Blessed
Brian and Rosalind Blessed

Brian Blessed will King Lear in Guildford next year in a cast that also includes his daughter Rosalind Blessed as Goneril.

The production runs at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, from 17 January to 7 February 2015.

It marks the first time that Blessed, known for his trademark booming voice, has played King Lear on stage and the first time he has performed alongside his daughter

The cast also features: Sarah Gobran (Regan), James Sobol Kelly (Gloucester), Noel White (Kent), Ben Ashton (Edmund), Tim Allsop (Oswald), Matt Pinches (Edgar) and Richard Neale (Cornwall).

It will be directed by Caroline Devlin for Guildford Shakespeare Company, with design by Neil Irish, lighting by Declan Randall and sound by Matt Eaton.

Brian Blessed's many Shakespeare credits include Kenneth Branagh's films of Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet. He was the original Deuteronomy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, and has appeared in many Royal Shakespeare Company productions.