King Lear divides his Kingdom between his daughters according to a declaration of their love for him. His eldest Goneril and Regan exaggerate their affection and inherit. His youngest daughter Cordelia speaks only the truth and is banished. So begins the tragedy of King Lear, whose dignity, sanity and finally life are torn from him by a self-seeking younger generation, ambitious for his power. What is love, what is madness, what is truth - Shakespeare explores these questions together with many others in King Lear, widely considered to be his greatest tragedy. Performed in English and Mandarin (with surtitles in both languages). David Tse Ka-Shing transposes the action of King Lear to London and Shanghai in 2020. The business world has shifted and China is the leading superpower. Corporate money and power protect a privileged elite who live above the law. Lear looks out from his penthouse across Shanghai's financial district. He has called a video-conference to decide how his global business empire will be divided amongst his three daughters. Greed and the desire for control leads to a trail of deceit, betrayal, lust and murder. As Lear suffers and searches for Taoist enlightenment, what hope is there for love?| 6 Dec 06 to 9 Dec 06 | The Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre Inner London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 30 Nov 06 to 1 Dec 06 | Unity Theatre Liverpool, Merseyside Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 28 Nov 06 to 29 Nov 06 | Arena Theatre Wolverhampton, West Midlands Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 20 Nov 06 to 22 Nov 06 | Lakeside Arts Centre Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Performance Details => Venue archive |
| 15 Nov 06 to 18 Nov 06 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire Performance Details => Venue archive |
