Lear

Synopsis: A video recording, using a single, fixed camera, of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1983 production of Edward Bond’s play, directed by Barry Kyle with Bob Peck as Lear. ‘In Bond’s play, Lear is a paranoid autocrat, building a wall to keep out imagined "enemies". His daughters Bodice and Fontanelle rebel against him, causing a bloody and atrocity-ridden war. Lear becomes their prisoner and goes on a journey of self-revelation. He is blinded and haunted by the ghost of a Gravedigger’s Boy, whose kindness towards the old King led to his murder. Eventually Lear, after becoming a prophet reminiscent of Leo Tolstoy, makes a gesture towards dismantling the wall he began. This gesture leads to his death, which offers hope as an example of practical activism’. [Wikipedia.com]
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Recording date: 1983
Duration: 180 mins

Director

Barry Kyle

Writer

Edward Bond

Music

Ilona Sekacz

Production Design

Kit Surrey

Cast

Bob Peck	Lear (Lear)
Alice Krige	Gravedigger’s Wife
Brenda Peters	Farmer’s Wife, Rebel Soldier, Stranger
Brian Parr	Orderly, Soldier M, 2nd Workman, Pete
Clive Wood	Old Sailor, Prisoner 3, 3rd Workman, Thomas, Wounded Rebel.
David Bradley	Firing Squad Officer, Prisoner 4, Stranger
David Glover	Commandant Officer, Duke of North, Rebel Soldier
Dennis Clinton	Old Councillor, Old Orderly
Ian Talbot	Duke of Cornwall, Rebel Soldier, Small Man, Soldier Q and O, Firing Squad Officer
Jenny Agutter	Fontanelle
John Bowe	Carpenter, 1st Workman
Mark Rylance	Dead Worker, Gravedigger’s Boy
Niall Padden	Engineer, Prisoner 2, Soldier F.G and P, Worker
Nigel Harrison	Cleric, Lewis, Major Pellet, Soldier D and N, John
Paul Webster	Warington
Penelope Beaumont	Rebel soldier, Susan
Pete Postlethwaite	Soldier A,H and R, Soldier, Sergeatnt, Spy
Phillip Walsh	Firing Squad Soldier, Fourth Workman, Boy, Prisoner 1, Usher, Soldier C,I,J and Q
Raymond Bowers	Farmer, Bishop, Spy, Stranger, Worker
Sara Kestelman	Bodice
Tom Mannion	Farmer’s Son, Firing Squad Officer, Soldier B, E and L, Stranger, Engineer

General: First performed at the Royal Court in 1971 with Harry Andrews in the title role.
History: Press night 19 May 1983.

Name: Royal Shakespeare Company
Web: https://www.rsc.org.uk External site opens in new window
Address: Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Waterside
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
CV37 6BB

British Universities Film & Video Council