King Lear

Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

About the Show

King Lear divides his Kingdom between his daughters according to a declaration of their love for him. His eldest Goneril and Regan exaggerate their affection and inherit. His youngest daughter Cordelia speaks only the truth and is banished. So begins the tragedy of King Lear, whose dignity, sanity and finally life are torn from him by a self-seeking younger generation, ambitious for his power. What is love, what is madness, what is truth – Shakespeare explores these questions together with many others in King Lear, widely considered to be his greatest tragedy.

Armed with only a drum, a guitar, a knife and a chair, this inventive, irreverent and highly accessible one-man is presented to you from the point of view of LEAR’s long suffering and ever-loyal fool. The bastard Edmund, haughty Goneril, poor deluded Gloucester, oily Oswald, sweet Cordelia, mad Tom – all the characters from this sad and sorry tale are brought to glorious life in this fast paced, funny, poignant and ultimately heartbreaking production.