King Lear

I have recorded it for Saturday night viewing - really looking forward to it.

Yes, I watched it on iPlayer yesterday, powerful stuff!
I thought Hopkins was very strong, as were Jim Broadbent and “Carson” from Downron Abbey (!)
I have seen it quite a few times-including a modern version by Dennis Kelly (The Gods Weep) with Lear played by Jeremy Irons, depicted as the CEO of a huge City company, Robert Stephens in one of his final appearances on the stage and Derek Jacobi at the RSC a few years back and have often wondered just what it is about - dementia? A petulant father demanding “who loves me best”?
Certainly a dark, bleak work, not a lot to relieve the gloom and a suitably gloomy setting.
Shakespeare doesn’t pull his punches.

Yes, Fennel, I told DH before we watched it “it ain’t a barrel of laughs”! The last version I saw on screen was Ian Mckellen playing Lear and I have to say his Lear moved me more than this one. Hopkins was undeniably brilliant but his ragings became so incoherent I had to put the subtitles on. A perfect vehicle for him, though, and a wonderful cast in all.

I saw it years ago, and decided then never to see another performance. I found it too depressing. I'm not fond of Anthony Hopkins either, I think that stems from seeing him in the Silence of the Lambs.

I wasn't going to watch it, having studied it, seen it a number of times, and taught it even more. However, I did watch the beginning and was 'hooked'. Anthony Hopkins was a much more convincing Lear than was the late Donald Sinden - his 'sibillant' speech was a terrible distraction - whom I saw at Stratford long ago. And Emma Thompson's Goneril was suitably evil. I must admit to having been a bit confused by all the men in uniform, some of whom seemed to look alike!

I read it in the space of one night when I was doing English Literature at an adult evening class. Surprisingly, since I had not up until that moment enoyed any of the Shakespeare I'd studied at school, I found it quite engrossing. Perhaps it was because it wasn't accompanied by a teacher making me analyse every single word and phrase!

But it is definitely very depressing - which is partly why I didn't bother watching it - plus, apart from that surprisingly appreciative "blip" so many years ago, I still find Shakespeare hardgoing.

What made it more upsetting for me was that it was set in modern times. I suppose the point was that these stories of cruelty and betrayal are universal, and can happen in all generations.
eg the ungrateful child, from King David in the bible to some of the sad family stories on here.
Shakespeare could write about such a range of subjects, but most of it was beyond me as a teenager.

I recorded it and watched the last hour live. I have no problem with a Lear in modern dress, but the costumes were too specific and, for me, distracting. I was disappointed by the Jenkins Lear. What I saw was too prosaic - literally. Blank verse should be used, and it wasn't: for example, "Howl, howl, howl" etc. was a bit feeble. The daughters were very good.

I may change my mind when I see the whole production.

Jenkins?

Hopkins! We Welshmen get confused.

Jenkins was Burton ?

We go to the RSC at Stratford once or twice a year. I have vowed to see only comedies from now on. Comedies being defined as anything that's not a tragedy. We studied Lear at A level. Enough! After stomaching a particularly gory Coriolanus and a pretty dire Hamlet recently, it's the Merry Wives in August for us.

I watched some of it yesterday but found the language too difficult to understand even with subtitles . I'll have to find out if there's a Dummies Guide to Shakespeare !

I watched the first five minutes.

.I have always loved Shakespeare, the language more than the plots,, but television is not the right medium. I also find it hard to tolerate modern dress productions. When I was a teenager I found the concept of modern dress quite original, but now I just think it’s a feeble unimaginative gimmick. The language, the social context, the attitudes all clash with the visual impact. I am well capable of understanding the universal nature of the plays without such clumsy pointers.

I didn’t see enough of it to know whether the actors mangled the text or not. I find a lot of actors now have little idea of the rhythms of the language. I should have given it a chance, I suppose, but I just wasn’t in the mood for hours of gloom and depression.

Going back to Macbeth - I spent ages this morning looking for a line I remember - "What- in our house?"
It was said by Lady Macbeth after being told of the death of the king.
One of the boys in our group, a bit of a comedian, repeated it
"Wot - in wor hoos?"
I was one of the witches - double double toil and trouble.

I've recorded it but haven't watched it yet. Couldn't resist when I saw the wonderful Andrew Scott was in it. Did anyone watch his Hamlet a couple of weeks ago? Stunning!