King Lear (McKellen) Chichester / Duke Of York’s

Saw it on Saturday, and loved it.

It was my third Lear in less than a year and finally after the mixed bag at the Old Vic and the flat bag at the Barbican, I saw what an amazing play it is. bramble really summed it up perfectly, it's clear and concise, it's 3 hours and 20 minutes, but time flows by. Great direction, great McKellen and equally great cast. It's nice that they found a way to justify the absence of the Fool from act 2.

We all expected McKellen to be great and he does not disappoint, but in this Lear the whole cast is so good that it almost feels like an ensemble piece. Special shout out to Dervla Kirwan's Goneril and Sinéad Cusack's Kent, both excellent.

We that are young shall never see so much, indeed!

I am a "King Lear" novice compared to some of this board; this is only the fourth stage production I have seen but I was impressed. I agree it was fast-moving with only one interval, which comes after the blinding of Gloucester (the usher did warn me that the interval was at 1 hr 50 mins). I am not usually a fan of modern dress Shakespeare but this worked for me. Neither am I usually a fan of gender-fluid casting but I thought Sinead Cusack was superb as Kent and the reason for the sex-change seemed convincing (Appearing as the Countess of Kent in the first scene, after she falls out with Lear and is banished from court, she returns disguised as a man). I also was convinced by the way the fool's demise was depicted. Unlike Dr. Jan Brock, I liked Phil Daniels' performance but then I am a fan.

I agree with the praise for Goneril, Regan and Gloucester. I thought Damien Molony as Edmund showed the lot of charm that makes the two sisters fall for him but on a few occasions I couldn't hear his words even though I was only three rows back from the stage (perhaps it is my hearing).

As to Sir Ian's Lear, it was an impressive performance. People have said that he didn't seem mad enough during the mad scene but I have had to deal with elderly relatives with dementia and they do have periods of lucidity, especially during early stages of dementia.

At the risk of seeming contrary, I found the final scene between Lear and Cordelia more moving in the production with Frank Langella in the title role which I saw at the Minerva a few years ago. But this was a great production.

Yes I think I saw a picture of the poster that said it was being filmed for archive purposes so wouldn't be for commercial public consumption I guess. Would love to see this, though. Hoping for a transfer or maybe a 'properly' filmed version.

A total Lear baby here, only my second production after Glenda at the Old Vic last year. I thought this was staggering. The production is first-rate and Serean is absolutely brilliant. His diction was mumbled at times, but his madness scene with the plants and his cradling of Cordelia at the end was remarkable. Like when I saw Dench, there is something ineffable about the way he wraps his mouth around Shakespearean language. I loved his performance.

Sinead Cusack was brilliant as Kent, and I loved her wavy hair - I cannot *believe* she is 69! Danny Webb was as convincing a Gloucester as he was a Cornwall last year, and Albany was surprisingly impactful. Dervla's Goneril was fine, though Celia Imrie did give a very similar powersuit-interpretation of her last year - I prefer Celia. And I found Oswald extremely camp and hammy like he'd just wandered in from a Carry On film? Am I alone?

The production really did crystallise everything I'd want to understand about the play. For the elaborate effects for the storm scene, they could've just opened a window after yesterday's weather! Towards the end I was really engrossed and don't like to toss around the 'd' word but it did seem... definitive.

I, too, was at yesterday's matinee so am glad it's being recorded - hopefully shown in schools for many years to come. Though I hope they're filming more than one performance as the lady in the front row opposite me dozed off during the first act! Ian McEwan, Mark Rylance and Simon Callow all in the audience and they seemed to enjoy it.

Feel very lucky to have been a part of such an intimate experience and if anybody crosses paths with available tickets, snatch them immediately.

I was also at the matinee but understand they were filming both shows yesterday! And I feel similarly lucky to have seen this production.

This supports my theory that the supposed "popularity" of Shakespeare is due in large part to a tiny proportion of the population zooming around the country to see all available Shakespeare productions of the same plays produced over and over and over and over and over and over again.

I’m sure there is some truth in this, Shakespeare travels this year include Stratford Upon Avon, York, Hull, Chichester, and some of the smaller London Theatres such as the Cockpit, Arcola, and the Union.

The well-known republican left-wing thinker Sir David Hare was persuaded to accept a knighthood (from Tony Blair I think) and when it was pointed out that this might seem somewhat in conflict with his previously stated political beliefs explained that he wasn’t accepting it on behalf of himself, oh no, he was accepting it on behalf of “Theatre” as a whole. As I consider myself, as a loyal audience member, part of “Theatre”, then I make sure I always use my title.

Even more impressive, Jonathan Miller has directed 8 separate productions of it (including TV).

"Veteran character actor Ronald Pickup in my row, he looked spry.
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Did you ask for his autograph, just to cheer him up a bit ? In circumstances like that I sometimes go over and mention the last thing I saw them in - in this case Peter Hall's "Uncle Vanya" in 2008.  

Sarah Hemming rumour that it's coming to London this summer: