KING LEAR: Shakespeare, Sandfield Theatre Nottingham till 28 February

Nottingham.

KING LEAR: William Shakespeare.
Sandfield Theatre.
Details: www.2Btheatre.co.uk.
Runs: 2h 50m: interval.
Review: Alan Geary: 25 February 2009.

The shift to thirties Gangsterland works surprisingly well.
Except for the text, which is in places magnificent, it’s difficult to know wherein the supposed greatness of King Lear lies. This basically excellent interpretation from director James Pacey gives us little justification for placing it amongst Shakespeare’s best.

The text is in safe hands with the majority of the actors, most obviously Keith Flood, who gives a fine performance as Lear. He makes his man mad from the start, and takes him through different forms of dementia as things proceed. It seems, indeed, that it’s the knowledge of his own madness that makes him want to relinquish the kingly role.

For that very worst of reasons, accessibility, Pacey sets the action in trench coat and trilby land, 1930s gangsterdom; but it works surprisingly well. It dovetails with the power rivalry, the high body count and the gore.

The fights are brilliantly done, and the scene where Cornwall (Gary Keane) plucks out Gloucester’s (David Hawley) eye and Regan (Kaitlin Howard) sticks a lighted fag in the other is a joy.

Less of a joy is Chris Iddon’s Fool. Iddon flops around too much and we don’t hear his lines sufficiently well to appreciate them. And Martin Arrowsmith, as Edgar, is vastly OTT when he’s pretending to be Tom O’Bedlam. But, with his sidelong looks at the audience, Guy Evans is camply nasty as Edmund, and Simon Johnson and David Hawley are strong as Kent and Gloucester respectively.

At the performance reviewed the excellent sound effects were augmented by far too much noise from backstage, which is unfortunate.

This, the second production from Nottingham-based 2B Theatre, promises well for the future.

Lear: Keith Flood.
Goneril: Teresa Critchley.
Regan: Kaitlin Howard.
Cordelia: Joanne Davies.
Albany: Raymond Shaw.
Cornwall: Gary Keane.
Kent: Simon Johnson.
France/Oswald/Captain: Rob Goll.
Burgundy/Cornwall’s Servant: James Sheldon.
Gloucester: David Hawley.
Edgar: Martin Arrowsmith.
Edmund: Guy Evans.
Fool: Chris Iddon.
Gentleman: David Shackleton.

Director: James Pacey.
Set Designer: Laura May Phillips.
Lighting Designer: David Phillips.
Sound Designer/Composer: Matt Marks.
Fight Co-ordinator: Kaitlin Howard.

2009-02-26 20:20:22