| 16 August 2011
Purists, be warned: This ain’t your mama’s Shakespeare. Presented in three acts, of which only the second loosely follows the traditional text, Wu Hsing-kuo’s presents a radical rendition of the beloved King Lear.
Considering the degree of changes from the original, it’s in the viewer’s best interest to free himself from conventional perceptions and assumptions about theatre and the play itself. Hsing-kuo, for instance, plays over ten characters, including himself. Further, two flatscreens translating the Chinese script on either side of the stage make this a delightful choose-your-own-adventure experience. From start to finish, this show will arrest your attention and immerse you wholly, so don’t despair if you can’t or don’t want to follow the screens. Generally speaking, if you’re the type of person who needs to know where you’re going or what exactly is going on, I strongly encourage you to do your homework, i.e. read a brief, five-paragraph summary of King Lear, so you can better appreciate the moments Hsing-kuo chooses to emphasize.
Above all, this is Hsing-Kuo’s Shakespeare, a quality I found remarkably enriching rather than exclusive. As the program - which will invaluably inform your understanding - states, Kuo wrote the play during “the most difficult [period] in my life.” Rejected and misunderstood by his industry, Hsing-kuo gained insight into the tragic role of Lear and spent years meditating, as a man and as an actor, on his relationship with Lear, as well as the fluid spaces between each. The result is a stunning distillation of Lear’s most significant themes.
This is an exercise in embracing reinterpretation rather than holding fast to a traditional view, a lesson in letting go of what you know and finding a new way to know it. Despite its deeply personal foundation, Hsing-kuo’s performance brings a raw and resonant new depth to the original text, and those open to exploring Lear alongside him stand to better understand its emotional profundity.
King Lear, Royal Lyceum Theatre, 13-16 Aug, 8.00 pm
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