Shakespeare Lives In Film: King Lear

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Shakespeare Lives in Film is a showcase of six classic adaptations of the Bard’s work. Featuring Laurence Olivier’s Academy Award winning performance as Hamlet and the ground breaking casting of Laurence Fishburne as Othello, the first major cinematic production of the work to cast an African-American in the title role, these landmark performances are not to be missed by fans and neophytes.

Thurs, 21 Apr/ 7.30pm: King Lear (1970)

Fri, 22 Apr/ 7.30pm: Theatre of Blood

Sat, 23 Apr / 3pm: Hamlet (1955)

Sat, 23 Apr / 7.30pm: Macbeth (1971)

Sun, 24 Apr / 3pm: Othello (1995)

Sun, 24 Apr / 7.30pm: All Night Long

King Lear

Thurs, 21 Apr, 7.30pm

Director: Peter Brook

Cast: Paul Scofield, Alan Webb

1970 \ UK \ 137 min \ In English \ Rating: tbc

Peter Brook directs his own adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy. King Lear (Paul Scofield), having decided to split his kingdom between his three daughters, decides to apportion the lands according to which daughter declaims her love for him best. When his daughter Cordelia refuses to flatter her father's ego with claims of devotion, Lear angrily gives the lion's share of his power to her sisters, Goneril and Regan. They soon abuse this trust, and Lear finds himself emasculated and powerless. Before long he is drifting into madness, as his former empire falls apart.

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