King Lear ; who was the fool?
I
was delighted to attend the rather exciting press night of The Royal
Shakespeare Company's latest hit production at the Barbican
Theatre...King Lear. Having never seen this play before, my
excitement was extra intense. I won't lie, the duration terrified me
slightly – 2 hours 55 minutes?! Madness. But y'know what? I didn't
even feel I was watching for that long. I was into it for the
entirety of the performance, and the time flew by.
My
only query of this play was...who was the fool? No, really?
The
obvious answer would be, well, The Fool. The
king's resident fool, in his woolly hat and with his sly ways, was
played by Graham Turner. I had seen him before in Cymbeline, and so
my brain fizzed with confusion when I saw him suddenly in his
shocking white long johns playing up to the crowd. He was the classic
Shakespearean entertainer, the perfect blend of idiot and secret
genius – the obvious choice for this title, the ultimate fool. And
yet...I contested his position.
(Photo by Ellie Kurttz (c) RSC)
My
next candidates for the role would be the
dukes. The
Duke of Albany
(played by Clarence
Smith)
and the Duke of
Cornwall (played
by James Clyde)
were exceptionally dense at times – however, maybe not quite as
easily led as the Earl
of Gloucester (played
by David
Troughton),
who was viciously blinded (sorry for the spoiler) and then taken,
allegedly, to a cliff he could leap off, by his son...what a silly
billy he was.
(Photo by Ellie Kurttz (c) RSC)
Still,
these noble men were not quite as foolish as, well, the king himself. Yep, Lear was a complete and utter buffoon, and he wins the title of
Ultimate Fool, I give it to him with both hands and a roll of my
eyes. My goodness, what a tit he was at times. He was so easily
absorbed in others' lives and stories, his beliefs were so quickly
changed...and the flower crown was just the finishing touch, the
final nail. But then, the last scene of the play was his becoming.
And his end. I actually found myself touched and feeling sorry for
him as he addressed his comrades and us, the audience, for the final
time.
(Photo by Ellie Kurttz (c) RSC)
(Photo by Ellie Kurttz (c) RSC)
Oh,
quick little footnote here, you know who wasn't a fool, like not at
all? Edgar. Or should I say Poor Tom?! Either way, my
gosh, he was an absolute genius at times, a sparkling whizz of wit
and excitement. It was a real treat to see Oliver Johnstone again,
having seen him just the week before in Cymbeline and properly
fallen for his Iachimo – the sleazy son of a something who
scammed and tricked his way through the play. I can confirm that yes,
I do indeed fancy him in both roles.
(Photo by Ellie Kurttz (c) RSC)
Thank you again, my beloved RSC, for an absolute treat of a play. I can safely say a night with you guys is always most excellent – and even at times educational! See you again soon, I hope...
King Lear runs at the Barbican Theatre until 23rd December.
Just one more month to see this excellent production!
Just one more month to see this excellent production!
Find out more - and book your tickets - here and enjoy the foolishness!
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ReplyDeleteWhat seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise o.w
ReplyDeleteJay x
Ops that was ment for the other post ! Past encounters , you get the idea 😂
ReplyDelete