Date/Time
Date(s) - 13 Jul 2024
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location
The Neilson Nutshell

Shakespeare’s epic of the imagination, King Lear, creates a portrait of a family and a country torn apart.

Duration: 2 hours 45 minutes (including 20 minute interval)
Recommended age: 15+

King Lear has ruled for a lifetime. He has plans for succession – the Kingdom is to be shared among his three daughters. But when he is challenged, Lear’s reaction unravels his family and ultimately the country, hurling him into a storm of rage, self-discovery, and perhaps even acceptance.

Is this Shakespeare’s great exploration of ‘filial ingratitude’? Or the sad tale of an old man in decline and the terrible choices forced upon his daughters? Is it the story of an appallingly entitled and selfish king? Or a daughter too naïve and proud to compromise for an ailing father? It is about all these things, and more. Shakespeare’s epic of the imagination, performed in the profoundly intimate setting of The Neilson Nutshell and the Fairfax Studio.

For the first time since 2010, Bell Shakespeare presents King Lear. Directed by Peter Evans and starring one of Australia’s finest classical actors, Robert Menzies, this heart-wrenching new production promises to be powerful and utterly unforgettable.

King Lear is recommended for audiences aged 15+. Please be advised this production contains depictions of violence consistent with Shakespeare’s original text. We recommend that adults accompanying young people should ensure they are familiar with the plot and content prior to viewing the performance.

Please note this production contains the use of strobe lights.