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King Lear Review
The Shakespearian epic King Lear was a fitting contribution from the young actors of the schools to Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations.
Regarded as the greatest play in the English Language by Director and Merchants’ Head of English Dr. John Gill, the tragedy depicts an internecine battle between good and evil triggered by an old man’s vanity.
The plot roars forward fuelled by a series of increasingly awful ironies, punctuated by the most beautiful self-aware poetry, gothic blood letting and stunning special effects, Shakespeare even throwing in some laughs as the viewer is forced to acknowledge that they simply don’t write them like this any more.
At centre stage throughout the three hours was the brilliant Alex Stephenson, the befuddled King Lear, blinded by years of subservience who heralds his own demise through demented pride, treating his family and his kingdom as play things. The part is regarded world wide as an actors’ acid test and Alex was magnificent, never losing the mean and moody authority of a Russell Crowe even as his pitiable plight unfolds. He was wonderful supported by Sam Lewis as his Fool, who lovingly taunts his master with wise warnings and the hoodwinked Gloucester, played with grim faced pain by Oli Smith.
However for charismatic stage presence, the floor belonged to the bastard Edmund, played Mo Lafi who had grasped the musicality of the blank verse and played the part as it is had been written in latter day gangster rap. His brother Edgar, played by Ryan Hall or David Beckham with brains, made a marvellous a Renaissance prince, forced to disguise his nobility as an idiot beggar.
Then we have the women, the cherubic beauty and sweet words of Lauren Murray as Cordelia contrasted by the tarantula like venom of Charlotte Rothwell and Emma Fox as Regan and Goneril.
There were some telling special effects which cleverly correlated the storm on the blasted heath to Lear’s inner eye, while the staging, scenery, music and lighting were all meticulous with months of preparation to produce such as a spectacle. Dr Gill was nervous about his choice, he need not have been, it was brave and bold.
