Lost Lear

LOST LEAR (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine)

The most brilliant creative twist on a Shakespearian classic with common themes of memory, madness, forgiveness and that overarching ask of love. This performance unveils with increasing empathy, uncertainty and intensity before reaching a shattering conclusion.   

A small cast, minimal wardrobe, evocative puppetry and deliberately large and close up projections combine to set the scene of a modern day nursing home. Venetia Bowe excels as the central character of Joy, an elderly lady resident and ex-actress who has dementia.

Bowe effortlessly switches tone between her dramatic depictions of the King and his daughter Cordelia as every day Joy loses herself in the momentum of rehearsing scenes from King Lear. This contrasts beautifully as Bowe returns to Joy herself with her fluctuating states of mind. The use of puppetry here too aches with a realistic and familiar visual sadness.

There are many correlations to be made here between the story of Joy and King Lear, including the complexity of the parent child relationship. The epic nature of dementia is also promoted to centre stage as Joy heartbreakingly tries to ‘make something out of nothing’.

Lost Lear is a supremely powerful piece of work that weaves and unravels the most extraordinary of scenarios. A shadowing curtain provides a divide between truth and expression and when you watch it draw for the final time you will be very glad you did.