A NEOLITHIC AND LEAN LEAR
Shakespeare’s works can be read in many ways and I have witnessed so many diverse stage interpretations that I never know what I am about to see when I venture towards one of his plays. This time it was King Lear, which opened tonight at The Shed, directed by Rob Ashford, Kenneth Branagh, and Lucy Skilbeck, with Branagh in the main role. Well, considering his knowledge of the Bard’s work, his perfect diction, and his acting skills, how could you miss it? Lear is also a precious manifesto on humanity and the lethal dangers of disunity, a current concern for us all. Lastly, but most important, The Shed is using a new technology from Dolby that wraps the sound around the space; for me, an audiophile, a special bonus.
Joseph Kloska (Gloucester) and Kenneth Branagh (director and King Lear)
I will tell you right away that if you are expecting a traditional, tragic, tear-moving version, this fast-paced production will not satisfy you. King Lear is often considered one of Shakespeare’s most heartbreaking plays and the death of his daughter Cordelia, like Gilda’s for Rigoletto, should arrive when you have already witnessed complete ruin, just before your last tissue. Branagh’s King Lear has a unique rhythm that respects the original, but takes away pauses and long passages, making it more action play than traditional tragedy. He underlines the many examples of dark irony throughout, both in dialogue and plot, an interesting approach, modern yet true to the text and settings.
Caleb Obediah (Albany), Dylan Corbett Bader (Edmund), Saffron Coomber (Regan),
Deborah Alli (Goneril), Mara Allen (Curan)
On the other hand, there is a ton of irony in the original text: Lear puts his faith in the wrong daughters for senseless reasons and Gloucester puts his faith in the wrong son; Kent is disguised as Caius and Edgar is disguised as Poor Tom but nobody, not even their relatives or close friends recognizes them (it’s not supposed to be a comedy). Here, it’s the Neolithic time (10,000 BC to 2,000 BC) but there is a France and a Britain, characters have noble titles, they exchange letters, and so on. I have a feeling the Bard wrote a parabola with evident ironic undertones within a colossal tragedy. Branagh has chosen a tragicomic approach. The only think that bothered me in the play was the light of the projector inside the large ‘donut’ hanging over the stage that represented the sky, a large central disc that pushed right out into the audience. It’s a beautiful piece (set and costume designer Jon Bausor) on which storms and the gods’ furies are projected, but the small bright light steals focus. On the stage sides, moving dolmens define different locations, a clever and well-designed solution to describe early times.
Kenneth Branagh (director and King Lear) and Jessica Revell (Cordelia/TheFool)
First performed at the British court on December 26, 1607, King Lear takes place in a make believe Ancient Britain. The king is getting old so he decides to divide his kingdom in three parts, one for each daughter, but, if they want it, they have to flatter him, and the one who shows the most love will get the largest part. Two of them can’t wait to get their hands on the patrimony so they excel in ass-kissing: Deborah Alli, as a statuesque Goneril, married to Albany (Caleb Obediah), delivers a very enticing “Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty…” while Saffron Coomber as Regan, wife of Cornwall (Hughie O’Donnell), is more matter-of-fact: “Sir, I am made of the self-same metal that my sister is, And prize me at her worth.” Both actresses immediately embody the false nature of their characters.
Kenneth Branagh (director and King Lear) and cast
Only Cordelia, played by Jessica Revell, who is also a magnificent Fool, declares that no words could express her love properly, adding that she loves her father according to her bond, no more and no less. She is honest, but furious Lear doesn’t like it and draws a sharp line: he banishes, disowns and disinherits her all at once. Not only has Lear made a mistake by banishing his favorite daughter, he has ruined Britain’s social order and placed the two older sisters (and husbands) against each other. The Earl of Gloucester, played superbly by Joseph Kloska, knows Lear is wrong but has his own family troubles; he calls Edmund (Dylan Corbett-Bader), his illegitimate son, a “whoreson”, feeding his resentment and his ruthless ambition, but he falls for his adulation, while he tries to execute Edgar (Doug Colling), his good son, who sacrifices himself to save his life. Both very bad examples of fatherhood — fate, of course, will punish both.
Kenneth Branagh (director and King Lear) and cast
Eleanor de Rohan, as the Earl of Kent, was blunt but charming; Raymond Anum as the greedy Duke of Burgundy, Stefan Brennan-Healy as the honorable King of France, Mara Allen as Curan, Ian Bouillion as the guard, and Chloe Fenwick-Brown as Oswald put their heart into the performance (many of them are graduates from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art). It is always a pleasure to hear the verses spoken with feeling and clarity, and Branagh did a splendid job in showing the arch of the king’s speech and mental decay. Did he move me to tears? No, even as the tragedy is overloaded with grief. In the past year, I have seen an unforgettable Patrick Page’s All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain and a unique Hamlet by Eddie Izzard and both have taken different successful approaches to Shakespeare’s works. I will have to add this one to the list and advise you to go see it as well, if you can.
Saffron Coomber (Regan) and Deborah Alli (Goneril)
photos by Marc J. Franklin; courtesy The Shed
poster illustration by Sally Thurer, based on a photo by Johan Persson
King Lear
presented by KBTC, Fiery Angel and The Shed
The Shed, Bloomberg Building, 545 W. 30th in Hudson Yards NYC
two hours, no intermission
ends on December 15, 2024
for tickets ($25-$269), visit The Shed