ipl-logo

King Lear Play Review Essay

773 Words4 Pages

I visited the Mill Theatre, Dundrum, to see Mill Production 's interpretation of the play, King Lear written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Geoff O’Keeffe this play features a talented professional cast. This is an insightful production, with gripping and affectionate performances. King Lear is brought to life with the use of dramatic sound effects and wonderful stage lighting. The theatre itself is quite a small intimate venue which I think is perfect for a play like King Lear. This gave the audience a chance to pick up on every detail and, some what engage with the different characters involved in the play. The stage setting was very simplistic but hugely effective. The same setting was used in each scene. While this was undoubtedly extremely contemporary and minimalist, it worked very well. At the back of the stage was three spikes which I discovered represented the kings crown and also his three daughters who each wanted a share in his land. The only other part of the setting was two benches which were also used for other functions, for example; to depict the entrance of the cave that Lear is brought into and also to represent the stocks that Kent was locked in for the night. I thought the characters used the stage very well and captivated each scene …show more content…

The actor that played Lear, Lenny Hayden, was inspiring. He gave blood, sweat and tears to the part and I think everyone was touches by his performance. He was an older man with a deep voice and he fully portrayed the ambitious and driven Lear, who is torn down by his own daughters and his conscience into a weak and pitiful old man. He really took on the character of Lear and succeeded in Lear 's transition from a king into a remorseful man who lost his way in life. He spoke exceptionally well and his determination and dedication truly impressed

Show More
Related

  • Bulrusher Play Analysis

    1692 Words  | 7 Pages

    The black box theater is a very intimate setting to begin with, and as I took my seat in the theater, I felt that intimacy. The theater was dark, and the audience was virtually silent before the production began. As I sat waiting for the performance to begin, I took in the lighting, the props, and the set as a whole, and I began to feel as if I were sitting just at the edge of a different time period. The design element that stood out most to me was the lighting of the river because the gobos and the selection of down lights made the river come to life, almost as if it was another character in this production. I was definitely drawn into the world of this play due to the intimacy of the black box theater and the lighting design of the

    Read More

  • The Last Night Of Ballyhoo Analysis

    938 Words  | 4 Pages

    The set was simple, and it had a lot old fashion furniture that you don't see that much unless you have grandparent that still have old style furniture. The theater was small and minimalistic and help the audience feel closer the

    Read More

  • Elf The Broadway Musical Analysis

    1639 Words  | 7 Pages

    To begin the setting was amazingly seamless and convincing; although, I didn’t have very high expectation for the sets I was amazed to say the least when I saw the first scene set. In scenes where Santa was telling Buddy’s story the set was the most simplistic while other scenes for instance when Buddy first gets to New York I was amazed by the set and how realistic it was to the actual setting. The flow of sets was almost seamless making the entire play feel dreamlike. The stage props used throughout the play were handled as though they weren’t props and that the character holding or using them used them every day adding to the dreamlike feeling of this play. The lighting perfectly depicted the mood of each scene I noticed that while in the North Pole the lights tended to be more of a bright white light which to me symbolizes joy and happiness, while in other scenes in New York I noticed gloomier colors such as dark blue that most likely to symbolize Buddy’s struggle and conflict with his father, Walter.

    Read More

  • A Raisin In The Sun Film Analysis

    1601 Words  | 7 Pages

    While both stage and screen portrayals were highly acclaimed there are some similarities as well as some marked differences in each interpretation. On the surface, the first difference noted between the stage and screen versions are the sets. The stage version describes the setting of the play, the Younger family living room, as a

    Read More

  • Juxtaposition In King Lear

    1336 Words  | 6 Pages

    His desire for power and status is very clear that there is no mistaking it for something else. Most of the other characters also have reserves of what they will and will not do, at least for the beginning of the play, but Edmund simply does not care. Father, brother, and even lovers, he will not let anyone stand in the way of what he wants most. The treachery of Edmund’s villainous ways is significant to the meaning of King Lear because of how far he is willingly to go to get what he wants and betray his family. Betrayal and madness are two of the major themes of King Lear and Edmund is the epitome of both.

    Read More

  • Charlie Brown Christmas Play Analysis

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    The productions of this play were successful through stage design, lighting crewing, and acting. Those three aspects made the quality of the play stand out to me, as an audience member. The production of the set design of the play was a good effort. The set design for the play staging aims for the sweet spot between feeding adult nostalgia and satisfying a new generation of children.

    Read More

  • King Lear In The Crucible And The Handmaid's Tale

    1378 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the works read in this course, many characters live lives through a single story. They are unable to feel empathy for others because they are so focused on themselves and their own problems. But as they start to listen, they start to learn how the world around them and others’ experiences can help them grow as human beings. In King Lear, a play by William Shakespeare, Lear experiences changes throughout the play as he opens up to new stories. At first he is blinded by his own pride but as the play progresses he learns others’ stories and changes his views.

    Read More

  • Rashness In King Lear

    1388 Words  | 6 Pages

    ACT I Early on in the Shakespearean play, King Lear makes the decision to refuse giving Cordelia a portion of the kingdom and disowns her as she does not falsely amplify her love to her father the way her sisters had. The decision is rash and even Lear’s servant Kent tries to tell Lear that he is not thinking on this decision clearly. Lear stubbornly keeps his word even though he admitted that Cordelia was his favorite and that he planned to spend his old age with her. The question as to why Lear did not swallow his pride despite his regret and hands the kingdom over to Cordelia’s two sisters and their husbands.

    Read More

  • Sympathy For King Lear's Redemption

    249 Words  | 1 Pages

    The audience sympathise with King Lear’s redemption. Throughout the play, he gets a chance at redemption to make up for his mistake of having “thy truth being the dower:” for his daughter. He realises the folly of his actions and redeems himself stating “I am a very foolish fond old man”. This demonstrates King Lear's change in character as he learns that he is not as powerful as thinks he was and starts to become more humble. There is a lure of sympathy for King Lear because a story of redemption inspires people and catches their imagination, that anything is possible.

    Read More

  • Satire Performance

    1845 Words  | 8 Pages

    The set varied, therefore it needed to be simple and easy to perform. We used small black stage blocks in the entire performance that symbolised chairs. To communicate with the audience that we are in another scene, the stage blocks would be moved around by actors to represent a change in location, for example, when the exam scene finished, we had to quickly put the stage blocks in two to signify that we were in a dating scene; the popcorn buckets was another element that suggested that we were participating in a movie theatre. Each performance we would have different sounds that would contribute to a particular scene. For example, the first scene had a school bell sound, that suggested that students are coming to class.

    Read More

  • Patriarchal Society In King Lear

    1987 Words  | 8 Pages

    King Lear is about political authority as much as it is about the power of family and its’ dynamics. Lear is not only a father but also a king, and when he gives away his authority to the unworthy and evil Goneril and Regan, he gives not only himself and his family but all the people of Britain into cruelty and chaos. As the two wicked sisters satiate their demand for power and Edmund begins his own rising, the kingdom collapses into civil clash, and we realize that Lear has destroyed not only his own authority but all authority in Britain. The reliable, hierarchal order that Lear initially represents falls apart and disorder consumes the dimension. The failure of authority in the face of chaos recurs in Lear’s excursions on the heath during the storm.

    Read More

  • King Lear Theme Analysis

    858 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is often said that the opening scene or chapter of a drama sets the stage for the major themes that the reader will see throughout the book or play. This theory is proven to be true in William Shakespeare’s King Lear. The first scene in act one helped to introduce some of the themes that would be seen throughout the rest of the play like the idea of madness, reconciliation and the idea of authority versus chaos. One major theme was reconciliation. In the very beginning when Lear was asking his daughter how much they all loved him, Cordelia couldn’t come up with the right words to say that would express her feeling for her father and accused her sister of exaggerating their love for him.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Impact On Theatre

    1095 Words  | 5 Pages

    “William Shakespeare’s Impact on Theater” says that “Theater, in particular, has experienced many changes due to his influence,” and without any major influence like Shakespeare to guide the changes of theater, it would be extremely different (Octane 1). Shakespeare introduced many new elements to theater because of how his writing was unique in his time period. Despite this, his writing appealed to many different audiences. For instance, Octane says that “The way in which Shakespeare’s plots move forward has helped define modern play-writing. Similarly, Shakespeare’s complex characterizations have brought forth a new type of storytelling in which characters’ choices drive plots forward” and “His plays were often imbued with universal truths of human existence, rather than acting as mirrors of the privileged life.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Romeo And Juliet

    1596 Words  | 7 Pages

    While everyone in my class was either laughing or ew-ing the scenes, I was enthralled. To see such careful thought in changing the play into a script to make the characters more understandable. To see how it also worked so well in bringing out how the characters looked. Itś not something you can just imagine while reading the play. You need to see it and it was portrayed wonderfully.

    Read More

  • Tragic Flaw In King Lear

    1062 Words  | 5 Pages

    King Lear is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the gradual descent into madness of the title character, after he disposes of his kingdom giving bequests to two of his three daughters based on their flattery of him, bringing tragic consequences for all. King Lear is a tragic hero. He behaves rashly and irresponsibly at the start of the play. He is blind and unfair as a father and as a ruler.

    Read More

More about King Lear Play Review Essay

Open Document