King Lear
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
4/5

KIDS! What can you do, you give them everything and all you ask in return is complete love and devotion. And how do they respond? Stab you in the back.

To top it all, getting old is a real bitch and remember it’s not just your own kids who seek to topple the old guard, your mates are at it as well.

That’s a potted version of King Lear, without doubt Shakespeare’s bleakest play, in which his usual poetic language is missing. Instead, we witness the raw and unhinged anger of the protagonist descending into a deep-seated madness which destroys virtually everyone around him.

Even the character of the Fool, a stock theatrical device to lighten the darkness, is here a grumpy soul who’s realised that there’s nothing in his armoury to alleviate the bleakness of the world.

In this joint production between the excellent Talawa theatre company and the Royal Exchange — hugely welcome given the under-representation of black artists in the theatre — Don Warrington (pictured with Philip Whitchurch) gives us an understated Lear.

Smouldering and snarling, his ultimate descent into madness is all too believable, while Rakie Ayola as Goneril and Debbie Korley as Regan give assured performances as the conniving daughters — more complex than evil in their interpretations of the roles — while Pepter Lunkuse is a vibrant, youthful Cordelia.

Philip Whitchurch as the Earl of Gloucester and Fraser Ayres, suitably unpleasant as the scheming “bastard son” Edmund, provide strong support too.

Director Michael Buffong’s pared-back production is complemented by Signe Beckmann’s stark set design which creates an unforgiving world.

The play’s intense bleakness is unsurprising — it was written around the time of the gunpowder plot when treason, conspiracy and suspicion were stalking England.

Given the current global chaos, it’s as much a play for today as the 17th century and perhaps this is the reason that it appears to be the “go-to” Shakespeare this year, with productions currently playing or scheduled in Northampton, Bristol, London and at the RSC in Stratford.

It’ll be interesting to see how they match up to this thoughtful interpretation although, if you go to see it and sit near the front, beware of the flying eyeballs.

Runs until May 7, box office: royalexchange.co.uk

Review by Paul Foley