The plot is, of course, familiar. Old King Lear splits his kingdom between two of his three daughters Regan, Goneril and Cordelia. He soon regrets the decision, however, as the familial strife escalates into the sort of chaos Jacobean audiences expected in return for their hard-earned pennies, with fools, bastards, blindness, treachery, tragedy and blasted heaths. Lear is arguably the greatest part the Sweet Swan of Avon ever wrote, the pinnacle of an actor’s career. So when the actor playing him is one of the most accomplished Shakespeareans of the age, it’s not unreasonable to expect something pretty special. And so it proves: Ian McKellen is magical. This is a recording of the recent RSC production made for the benefit of those who couldn’t get a ticket during its oversubscribed run. McKellen’s performance is spellbinding, proving (as if we needed it) how much more there is to him than Gandalf. It can’t match the electricity of seeing him rage live on the stage but as next-best-things go, it’s hard to beat.
Trevor Nunn's acclaimed 2007 theatrical production of Shakespeare's tragedy starring Ian McKellen as the titular monarch. Proposing to divide his vast kingdom amongst his three daughters, Goneril (Frances Barber), Regan (Monica Dolan) and Cornelia (Romola Garai), Lear devises a test for his offspring to convince him of their suitability and compassion for rule. As the scheme unfolds, Goneril and Regan's true colours emerge, uncovering a vast conspiracy of greed and cruelty within the once loyal dynasty. When Lear is tricked into making a devastating error, events spiral into madness and malice, bringing the realm to its knees...
Little Dorrit
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King Lear (Nunn, 2008)
