16. King Lear
Synopsis
Nominated for a BBC Audio Drama Award: Best Online or Podcast Audio Drama
"A superb piece of work, brilliantly directed by Barnaby Edwards. David Warner is outstanding. And once more, there isn’t a weak link in the cast. The best drama I’ve heard on radio or audio all year." The Doctor Who Companion
"Director Barnaby Edwards has assembled the most amazing cast. The endlessly wonderful David Warner is perfect as Lear... The power grabbing Goneril & Regan are also played just right by Louise Jameson & Lisa Bowerman respectively. Both are Big Finish powerhouses that never disappoint, but do at times like this shine even brighter. Finty Williams’ Cordelia is then a perfect counter point, playing the gentility and love of the daughter who actually cares. 10/10" - Indie Mac User
"Lear’s speech in the storm is undoubtedly one of Big Finish’s greatest achievements in merging actor and sound effect. A well-selected cast and astute talent behind the script proves that Big Finish has a future with the theatre. 9/10" - Blogtor Who
‘Oh, let me not be mad…’
In an ancient Britain of warring nobles and sibling rivalries, power is a precarious thing. When the ageing King Lear declares that he will divide his kingdom in three to prevent future strife, he unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that will unravel into treachery, horror, conflict and death.
Renowned for its pathos and poetry as much as for its savage violence, Shakespeare’s wildest tragedy remains as thrilling and relevant today as when it was first performed: King Lear is a tale of politics, ambition, greed, vanity, betrayal, love, pride, madness, war and bloody vengeance.
Adapted for audio by Nicholas Pegg
Consultant: Dr Martin Wiggins, The Shakespeare Institute
Producer: David Richardson
Executive Producers: Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
Written By: William Shakespeare
Directed By: Barnaby Edwards
Cast
David Warner (King Lear), Louise Jameson (Goneril), Lisa Bowerman (Regan), Finty Williams (Cordelia), Mike Grady (The Fool), Tony Millan (The Earl of Gloucester / First Messenger), Paul Shelley (The Earl of Kent), Ray Fearon (The Duke of Cornwall), Nicholas Pegg (The Duke of Albany / Gloucester's Servant / Curan), Raymond Coulthard (Edmund / Cornwall’s Servant / Second Messenger / Second Gentleman), Gwilym Lee (Edgar / Duke of Burgundy), Trevor Cooper (Oswald / Lear’s Gentleman / Third Messenger), Barnaby Edwards (The King of France / Old Man / Herald). Other parts played by members of the cast.
