King Lear Old Vic Glenda Jackson

Yes, it wasn't bad at all! I didn't realize it was the first preview, it was incredibly smooth for a first preview. It's very very long, but there are some good moments - personally, I really liked the storm scene, it was simple but very effective!

Was that it? Seriously? That looks like a piss-take. Reminds me of the stage production of Acorn Antiques: The Musical. Julie Walters walks in, not having read the script, announcing, "I'll need scissors...!" Sounds like Glenda Jackson could have done with them too.

This is the set for the actual play, and not a sixth form conference on the play?

What's with the PowerPoint?

Saw it yesterday and, like several people did, I left at the interval (because it would have been too rude to leave during the first part). I felt very sorry for Jackson, who definitely gives a strong performance. She doesn't disappoint at all, but it's so disastrous to waste her talent - especially as it is a come-back - in such an awful production. I found the whole thing quite ugly to watch, and eventually unbearable. I have nothing against a new reading of a play, but it must be done with boldness and talent. This Lear is just dreadful. This is very sad.

Everyone seems to be raving about it on the old Twitter ?!!

Is that a turkey?  (Not the play, I mean that thing on the right of the arch).

When I see reports like this, and some of the recent Globe productions, I thank god that I don't do Shakespeare. Looks and sounds hideous. 

I know a lot aren't liking it on here, but do you think it's the sort of show that might get good reviews?

Yes! Deborah Warner's previous two productions of King Lear were both well received.

I know a much older man who says about nearly everything: "It didn't move me," with "move" pronounced as "mooooooooove" with a Larry the Lamb bleat, and he means this as his ultimate putdown criticism. He uttered this whine after seeing her last Lear, the NT one with Brian Cox. But it wasn't intended to moooooooove him or anyone else. It was more intelligent than that. It also had a very bare design, although different to this Old Vic design.

I think for various reasons it at least won't get bad reviews.

King Lear is possibly my favourite Shakespeare play and with every cast announcement my excitement grew. Glenda Jackson, Celia Imrie, Jane Horrocks, Rhys Ifans. Incredible.

What I saw last night was a lamentable mess. A poorly conceived, misdirected, ugly production.

There was a technical difficult last night just before the storm, which gave half the row in front of me the chance to make an exit. My partner and I followed them when we finally got to the interval.

Glenda was wonderful, but no-one is mic'd, so as soon as she turns away from the audience, her dialogue becomes incomprehensible.

What a mess and what a waste of a cast.

Righto let me think I think we got out at about 10.45ish, was running for train so was in a hurry, but we started a least a couple of minutes late and as mentioned there was a technical problem in the first half that stopped it and probably added maybe 5 mins so it is coming down.

Bit of a saga getting in, I'd been Christmas shopping at the nt bookshop (well I bought books at least) before so had my rucsac, got in fine but when went to enter auditorium was told there was a new rule re bags, it's now 'lady's handbag' size apparently, so I'd guess nt bag size policy perhaps. So was told to go back to security and get a tag and then I wouldn't have to pay to put it in the cloakroom. So went back and joined the queue again and came back through with my tag, got to cloakroom and was asked had bag been searched, no I said, was told they couldn't do it so had to go back to security and come round again. When then returned to cloakroom was told I now could take my bag into the auditorium. So my advice, only take a really small bag or insist on being searched!

The stage as noted extends out and seats start at row E I think, the full stage is over reaching right back and there are some large white screens that move around a bit and have the scene number projected onto them but I didn't get why or why they had the whole area open but didn't really use it. The only props were really a few plastic chairs and some very noisy benches, the taking down of which muffled an entire speech between Lear and Goneril. To start with I was very much thinking it was a bit like an am dram production, this was partly as everyone was in modern dress and there was a lot of pre play wandering around (do you have to do that kind character when they're 'chatting' or can you talk about last night's tv?) and partly as the large space made me think of a large village hall with all the visible fire escapes and bits of wall. I'll wait for someone else to explain the setting as it passed me by.

This grew on me, I felt pretty ropey and was on the end of an aisle so could have left but was never really tempted and whilst it's long it didn't feel THAT long to me, I was aware of time passing but not to the extend that I was writing my shopping list in my head. Glenda Jackson rather acted everyone else off the stage I think, I'd say she was really good and will get better. There were shades of elderly parent, being all unreasonable and put up with, I was thinking about nursing homes and wills, the modern dress lends itself that way. Later on she really is proper mad and it's painful at the end. Goneril and Regan didn't seem to do much, Jane Horrocks has a succession of very heeled footware and Celia Imrie a curtain sucession to wrap around her when she feels got at but they didn't have much impact. They weren't out an out for each other's throats, or Cordeila's for that matter, felt rather like the average family where you don't necessarily particularly like each other but put up with each other but I'm guessing that's the idea. Cordelia ok, its not the easiest of parts is it. I think Gloucester will grow, lost some lines to audiability issues but I think he should work. Similarly quite liked Edgar, think he'll grow into more, not quite there yet but I have faith that Harry Melling has it in him. Edmund, well, that's again a part that can not really be much really and wasn't amazing here. Kent didn't quite work for me, played younger than I've seen it before, not a peer of Lear and Gloucester and there's a very odd moment with Cordelia that I can't currently spoiler but seemed really bizarre, suggestion of something not picked up anywhere else. The fool was not as annoying as I'd feared and I rather liked his reaction to poor Tom, I'd hope that was another developer.

There were some walk outs at the technical stop though most people seem to return post interval and quite a lot of ovations. I'll think some more and this is of course early days but at the moment Lear is working but remains to see if everyone else can up their game to keep up.