We are back from hiatus! In this episode, we discuss the Almeida Theatre’s 2012 production of King Lear starring Jonathan Pryce and directed by Michael Attenborough. The production was recorded over two nights, and is now streaming on Digital Theatre where it is available for rent or to watch as a subscriber.
Ep. 19 (Part 1): Interpreting the text
00:00 – 1:28 Introduction
1:28 – 21:35 Duty and nature in King Lear: the daughters, Kent, and Lear’s role as King. “You’ve made your daughters thy mother”.
21:35 – 28:31 The fool’s disappearance
28:31 – 38:50 Who gets our sympathy and why?
38:50 – Lighting and staging
Ep. 20 (Part 2): Staging and filming the production, target audience
00:00–7:35 The theatre space
7:35–14:40 Filming the production
14:40–24:23 The set and tone of the production
24:23–30:52 The costumes
30:52–56:23 The production’s target audience & the pros and cons of concept productions
56:23–59:20 Incest or no incest, that is the question
59:20–1:04:23 Who we think this production is for and whether Lear is a good gateway play
Host: Alex Heeney (@bwestcineaste)
Guests: Craig Ruttan (@crut), Caitlin Merriman (@CaitlinSnark)
Editor: Cam White (@JediDusk)