King Lear – Simon Russell Beale

This Lear, a crusty bully crumbling into dementia, is full of interesting subtleties that had me chasing through my Arden Edition to see if I’d heard correctly. Simon Russell Beale’s fresh reading is all there, except for the demise of the fool that this intelligent production supplies. Microphone flaws apart, the diction in this live cinema relay was almost flawless. Alas, Regan (Anna Maxwell Martin) got shrill and incomprehensible but perhaps that was part of her character. Stephen Boxer and Tom Brooke stand out as Gloucester and Edgar. I found the sound effects, music and too many pressing close-ups tiresome.

Duke of York’s Cinema, 2 May 2014

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