MATTHEW HAWKINS contrasts the sinister enchantments of an AI infused interactive exhibition with the intimacies disclosed by two real artists
Latest editorial
McKellen’s tour de force mesmerises
Ian McKellen (right) as King Lear
[Johan Persson]
ANDY HEDGECOCK relishes a graphic portrayal of the corrosive impact of commodification, but can’t sympathise with the characters
New releases from Van Morrison, Tyler Ballgame, and Dry Cleaning
RON JACOBS welcomes a timely history of the Anti Imperialist league of America, and the role that culture played in their politics
STEVE ANDREW appreciates a passionate account of the Scottish Club during the ‘lost decade’
By telling the story of a lawless frontier town from the point of view of the Lakota, Chinese labourers, prostitutes and displaced prospectors, makes for a potted history of capital, suggests ALEX HALL
King Lear
Duke of York’s Theatre
London WC 2
★★★★
HOWEVER many times I see King Lear, my first instinct is always to marvel yet again at the wild and fearless excesses of the original play.
It takes us right to the sharp end of human life where power crumbles to nothing, where the blind lead the blind, where folly rules and where the Fool — a creature of oblique instincts, waywardness and caprice — stumbles on essential truths that seem somehow off limits to the reasoned mind.
It’s a powerhouse of imagination and an unparalleled penetration of the human condition in a godless and structure-less world.
Similar stories
Although this production was in rehearsal before the playwright’s death, it allows us to pay homage to his life, suggests MARY CONWAY
MARY CONWAY applauds the success of Beth Steel’s bitter-sweet state-of-the-nation play
MARY CONWAY is stirred by a play that explores masculinity every bit as much as it penetrates addiction
MARY CONWAY recommends a beautifully judged performance that shines a light on the experience of all female war babies and boomers