by William Shakespeare

directed by Michael Grandage
set design Christopher Oram



from 1.12.2010, press night 7.12.2010 (6.12.2010,11.1.11)

approx. 3h, incl. 1 interval

King Lear:                                             Derek Jacobi
The Fool:                                              Ron Cook
Goneril, Lear's eldest daughter:                       Gina McKee
Duke of Albany, Goneril's husband:                     Tom Beard
Regan, Lear's middle daughter:                         Justine Mitchell
Duke of Cornwall, Regan's husband:                     Gideon Turner
Cordelia, Lear's youngest desinherited daughter:       Pippa Bennett-Warner
King of France, Cordelia's husband:                    Ashley Zhangazha
Duke of Burgundy, former suitor of Cordelia:           Stefano Braschi
Earl of Gloucester:                                    Paul Jesson
Edgar, Gloucester's legitimate son:                    Gwilym Lee
Edmund, Gloucester's illegitimate son:                 Alec Newman
Earl of Kent/Caius, later servant to Lear:             Micheal Hadley
Oswald, Goneril's servant:                             Amit Shah
Gentleman:                                             Harry Attwell
Old Servant:                                           Derek Hutchinson

Sir Derek is just wonderful in his arrogance, rage and madness. I almost cried when Lear died.
Particularly scary was the storm scene with flash lights and rumbling thunder, Lear whispers the lines in a kind of "frozen" moment.
With a phantastic supporting cast of highly acclaimed actors like Paul Jesson, Ron Cook and Gina McKee, young actors like Pippa Bennett-Warner and Ashley Zhangazha it is a production not to be missed.