Theatre in Wales

Theatre, dance and performance reviews

No frills Shakespeare

At Fluellen Theatre

Fluellen Theatre Company- King Lear , The Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea , March 16, 2002
Fluellen Theatre Company`s no frills production of one of Shakespeare`s most powerful tragedies is a gripping and compelling piece which attempts to wring the most out of the text.

Director Derek Cobley`s interpretation of the play (performed here in the round, so that the audience are made to feel more involved) is stark and unpretentious, with the pace becoming increasingly frenetic as Lear - played with some style by Peter Richards - descends into madness. Lear`s daughters - Goneril, Regan and Cordelia - are portrayed by Alexandra Trowbridge Matthews,
Claire Novelli and Naomi Martell - three charismatic performers each with their own distinctive identity.

Other fine performances come from Nick Cesare (Edgar), Alexander Clare (Edmund),Martyn Andrews (The Fool) and David Prince (Gloucester).

The lighting is particularly subtle and atmospheric, underpinning the mood without becoming intrusive or distracting from the power of the language.

Reviewed by: Graham Williams, South Wales Evening Post,

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