King Lear review, The Almeida

The story of King Lear is fairly simple. A barmy old king exiles his favourite daughter for failing to adequately describe her love for him, and hands over his kingdom to her silver-tongued dark-hearted sisters. When, a few months down the road, they bar him from their homes, he is left to wander the countryside with his men, getting steadily madder. Meanwhile a subplot involving the Earl of Gloucester and his sons, Edgar and Edmund - a prototype Jedward, one born in wedlock and other to a mistress - starts to impinge on the royal narratives and we are sucked into a wind tunnel of misfortunes.

Pryce is right

The play can feel a bit like watching a band of foolish numpties getting their come-uppance. The sisters are straight from Cinderella and the villains are seriously nasty. The eye-gouging of Gloucester is horrific. What is transporting about Michael Attenborough's production - and Jonathan Pryce who plays Lear with an organic effortlessness - is the clarity of the King's progression from fiery eccentricity into total madness and then out again in moments of unexpected lucidity. It is a dun coloured tapestry of human frailty.

Pryce is supported by an excellent cast including Ian Gelder as Kent. Special mentions to Clive Wood as solid, loyal Gloucester, Trevor Fox as the geordie Fool, Chook Sibtain who drew humour from the Duke of Cornwall, Kieran Bew as a villainous Edmund and Jenny Jules with the slipping lisp, as bloodthirsty Regan. 

In conclusion: It's a long play, particularly so when the pace is measured so it makes full sense. At over three hours, you need to be a fan of the story or the cast or the theatre to take the plunge, but once in the water's lovely.

References
Almeida Theatre, buy tickets

Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London N1 1TA   This run has now finished.