King Lear

Shakespeare’s most elemental tragedy charts a kingdom where power corrupts, families become enemies and prosperity devolves into war. At its centre is the mind of a man who can no longer understand what it means to be human.

Lear is a searing portrait of a king unable to distinguish truth from lies. As the storm rises and night falls, language, identity and meaning break down completely.

This reimagining of Shakespeare’s masterwork is adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster, who returns for his sixth engagement at the Royal Exchange, in a unique and emotionally charged take on one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.