Theatre Review: King Lear, Almeida Theatre - Sapani's Lear is a masterclass.
Danny Sapani and Gloria Obianyo in King Lear. Image Credit: Marc Brenner
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A classic Shakespearean tale, King Lear takes you on the journey of accepting the fate of death after having lived on Earth. This play tells the story of a King who divides his realms between two of his three daughters after having banished the third for loving him. Despite having two daughters left, the King wanders through a storm driving him mad after they reject him in their own home. The Almeida theatre's take on King Lear must not be missed. Though this play runs 3 hrs & 30 mins including an interval, you don't feel that as you are transported back in time to feel as though you are written into the story.
Multi-award-winning director and playwright Yael Farber does a fantastic job bringing this story to life giving it a modern feel without compromising the historical, and dense, text that Shakespeare is known for. Farber allows the story to breathe new life as if it were written specifically for her directorial expertise. Every detail and every staging choice felt intentional, honest, and real. Farber also created a creative team that truly helped execute the ideas, visuals, and sounds that were needed to push this production to the top.
The creative team gave the Almeida a simplistic, dark, yet edgy feel for audiences to be submersed in the rich text of King Lear. Merle Hensel's set design paired with Lee Curran's set design leaves you speechless in awe of the atmosphere they both created. Peter Rice's sound design allows you to be able to visualize being in the room where these scenes and dialogue take place. Composer, Max Perryment, gifts our ears with melodies and harmonies that resonate with the passion, drive, and creative mind that William Shakespeare possessed as he wrote this incredible tale. Camilla Dely's Camilla Dely’s costume design fits perfectly with the aesthetic the rest of the creative team created. Each costume was simple, yet unique to the individual characters, allowing the story to not feel dated. Those persons working backstage and behind the scenes during the performance helped the play run smoothly without a beat.
As a result of the beautiful direction given by Farber, this enormously talented cast were able to make choices that gave the characters noticeably more depth. Their personal stories read well to the audience which in turn makes the audience feel real emotions towards them. The chemistry between the cast is unmatched as they journey through this heartful story. Danny Sapani leads the company as King Lear and does a fantastic job navigating through the emotions the King feels from start to finish. Sapani's Lear is a masterclass in embodying a character so well that the audience truly feels and believes every word spoken. Clarke Peters' Fool leaves you speechless. Peters wholeheartedly takes on the role of the all-knowing, clever persona that is needed to help guide the play along.
If you are a lover of Shakespeare, a fan of modern takes on old text, or a fan of diverse casting, then this production is for you. Even if you do not fit into those categories, this is still for you as you can find something in this production that helps you look at the world we live in through a brighter lens. This beautiful Shakespearean play runs at the Almeida Theatre until 30 March 2024. You can book tickets here.