The Cordelia Dream

Synopsis

A musician and his rival, a younger woman, are having a long-awaited conversation. As they spit their mutual malice with precision and aplomb, they question the hatred they have used to outdo each other in pursuit of art. With echoes of King Lear, it promises to unpick the belief that a muse must be made of love.

Our Review:

17 December 2008

This is a bold move by the RSC. Just as other theatre companies are dusting off their Christmas plays to give us something festive, the RSC has commissioned Irish writer Marina Carr for this deeply unsettling play on the theme of family breakdown.

Taking as its starting point the death of Cordelia towards the end of King Lear, Carr has fashioned a play that deals with family relationships, professional jealousies, dementia, impending death and the creative process. Carr does slightly overplay the Lear references, there are constant allusions to the play during the course of the evening – almost as if she was undertaking a challenge to fit as many in as possible.

The story is simple: a woman calls on an elderly man in a sparsely furnished flat. It’s apparent from the outset that there’s no love lost between them but after a time, it’s slowly revealed that they are father and daughter and that they’re both composers, with varying degrees of succ...

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Latest User Review

Fiona G - 2 January 2009:

The play I felt did lack some thing which was needed,however, Michelle Gomez's performance was outstanding and completly portrayed this broken yet devoted women. Some harsh reviews which I feel The Cordelia Dream does not deserve....

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