Theatre review: King Lear

I’ve seen a lot of productions of Lear over the years; perhaps most memorably the one where Ian McKellan got bare-ass naked during the mad scene. But this is the first one I’d seen directed by Adrian Noble, former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He’s directing two of the three offerings at the Old Globe’s 2010 Shakespeare Festival in San Diego.

Like all of Shakespeare’s plays, Lear involves a number of subplots. But the main story is the most poignant. Lear, an aging king, wants to divide up his kingdom among his three daughters. But he asks them to prove which loves him the most. The oldest two, Goneril and Regan, offer pretty and flattering speeches; the youngest, Cordelia, merely says she has no words to describe how much she loves him. Lear flies into a rage and disowns her. Goneril and Regan begin to scheme and plot to undermine what little authority remains to Lear. Without his favorite, Cordelia, and unable to handle the betrayal of his other daughters, Lear goes mad. At the end of the play, when he discovers Cordelia has been hanged, his heart breaks, and he dies in her arms.

Refreshingly, Noble didn’t try to set the play in Nazi Germany, or Stone Age-era Ireland, or France during the Revolution, or Cold War-era Russia, or anywhere else that I’ve seen directors try to place Shakespeare. He let Lear be Lear. Which is entirely appropriate for an outdoor festival; in an outdoor setting, artifice is just that—artifice.

Because of the production’s simplicity, the acting shines. This is an ensemble that’s done its homework (as one would expect under Noble’s tutelage), that understands every word, every nuance of Shakespeare’s elevated language. I especially enjoyed Bruce Turk as an uncharacteristically melancholy Fool; Jay Whittaker and Jonno Roberts as Edgar and Edmund, the feuding half-brothers; and Charles Janasz as Gloucester. They were every bit as riveting as Lear himself (Robert Foxworth). He was very regal, if slightly unconvincing as a madman.

Ralph Funicello’s set is a simple wooden platform, set on a platform deep with fallen leaves. Two wooden staircases stand to either side; two enormous Japanese-style sliding wooden doors in the back. That’s it. And that’s really all you need. Lighting (Alan Burrett) and music (sound design, Christopher R. Walker and original music, Shaun Davey) take care of the rest, differentiating the various locations. Even the famous storm scene is relatively low-tech, mostly fierce storm sounds punctuated with swirling snow. (But the snow is really beautiful.) Deirdre Clancy’s costumes are simple but lush; the three daughters’ dresses in the opening scene are her best.

While most of the country swelters under a heat wave, San Diego’s weather remains constant. Between 65 and 75 degrees, all year round. However, as befits a semi-arid desert climate, the nights get chilly—even in June. At the opening night outdoor performance of Lear, most of the audience was bundled into blankets, braving 59-degree evening temperatures. But no one fidgeted, no one left, even as the blanket supply ran out. Animal sounds from the nearby San Diego Zoo provided an eerie soundtrack of their own. Despite the chill, it was one of the most enjoyable outdoor performances of Shakespeare I’ve seen. Just remember to bring a blanket.

Directed by Adrian Noble
With Robert Foxworth (Lear), Emily Swallow (Goneril), Aubrey Saverino (Regan), Catherine Gowl (Cordelia), Donald Carrier (Albany), Michael Stewart Allen (Cornwall), Ben Diskant (France), Christian Durso (Burgundy), Charles Janasz (Gloucester), Jay Whittaker (Edgar), Jonno Roberts (Edmund), Joseph Marcell (Kent), Bruce Turk (Fool), Andrew Dahl (Oswald), Steven Marzolf (Curan), Adrian Sparks (Old Man), Craig Dudley (Doctor); and Ensemble, Shirine Babb, Andrew Dahl, Grayson DeJesus, Ben Diskant, Craig Dudley, Christian Durso, Kevin Hoffman, Andrew Hutcheson, Steven Marzolf, Jordan McArthur, Brooke Novak, Ryman Sneed, Adrian Sparks and Bree Welch
Set Design: Ralph Funicello
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Sound Design: Christopher R. Walker
Costume Design: Deirdre Clancy
Original Music: Shaun Davey
Running Time: Three hours with one fifteen-minute intermission
The Old Globe; 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego; 619-23-GLOBE
Tickets $29 - $78
Schedule varies
June 12 – September 23, 2010