I love pretty well any and all Shakespeare but have always had a somewhat tricky relationship with Lear. I put this down to a well below par school production followed some years later by the RSC "let's put all the various versions together" production which I saw from the (very uncomfortable) cheap seats, which had an all white abstract set and which was interminably long ... well, the part I saw was, I spent the second half watching a viking funeral on the Avon. A few years later I saw Creation Theatre's version set in the Mini factory in Oxford which partially won me back but I was hoping for a final reconciliation with this production.
The idea is excellent. Take some of our most experienced actors into the core of the play and then fill the other parts with emerging talent from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - then shake it up with different castings so the students can explore multiple roles. This is a genuinely great idea which I hope finds a regular slot in the Old Vic's calendar.
The play sparked some unusual laughs from an audience who saw in many of the lines references to our current situation some few days after the Brexit vote. Anything speaking to the vagaries of politicians or the disolution of the country got a nervous, knowing, response that it probably would never get in any other time and place.
In this Lear, the "old guard" of Timothy West (Lear), Stephanie Cole(Fool) and David Hargreaves (Gloucester) provide the stable, central pillars around which the production revolves. Stephanie Cole is particularly engaging as the fool delivering a faultless and engaging performance. Timothy West's irascible Lear is genuinely engaging, commanding attention without swamping the surrounding perfomances. Gloucester's journey from senior figure to blind, dependant is extremely well pointed and the scene on the "cliff" genuinely moving.
From the student cast we saw I would particularly commend Joey Akabuze's immensely entertaining Oswald, Michelle Fox's powerful Regan and Danann McAleer's completely credible and Kent. Tom Byrne's Edgar is also worthy of comment, he brought a delicate poignancy to Mad Tom. Overall the effect was closer to a student production with invited professionals than a fully professional production but that was to be expected from the format and, consequently, did not detract from my enjoyment.
The set was unobtrusive and effective though could perhaps be reduced even more ro help speed scene changes. Overall the design and costuming worked well and I thought thes torm sequence was excellent (so lovely to hear the thunder run in use). At times I felt the chorus was there just to give them stage time rather than to enhance the production itself but the pace throughtout was well maintained if a little rushed and uncertain at the very start.
So, am I reconciled to Lear? In the end I feel I can look forward to enjoying Lear in the future in the way I always should have. For that, and for a really good evening of theatre, I thank this company.
p.s. I really LOVE the new, temporary, Backstage Bar - it is such a fabulous, theatrical (!), space ... I shall enjoy our time with the space while the new FoH is being developed and shall miss it when we go all posh again.
p.p.s. if one person is going to appear during the storm absolutely dripping wet then all should ... all or none ... not some ...
p.p.s. these things realy, really bug me for reasons I can't explain. (a) leaning forward from the waist when speaking lines - we never do this in real life so why do it on stage? (b) giving your speech with your face (and only your face) entirely in the shadow thrown by another actors' head when you could cheat your position so we can see you. (c) always standing straight on to the audience even when speaking to someone right beside you. (d) directors who don't have a quiet word with actors who, probably unconsciously, slip into habits (a), (b) & (c).
