King Lear at York Theatre Royal with a cast of stars. This was a read through and it was much more interesting and engaging than I thought it would be. It was like listening to a radio play, I had to really focus on listening to the language without action, and character interaction to convey meaning.  However, there was the benefit of being able to observe the actors’ expressions which actually revealed a lot.

What is interesting is seeing/listening to the very different acting styles.  This can work in a read through much more than on stage. For example Freddie Jones was very classical in his approach and Coronation Street’s David Neilson played Kent as seeming cautious but very determined Kent (a bit like his portrayal of Roy Cropper in his best moments). You could also tell who were the Theatre actors as they moved off text very quickly and played much more to the audience.

Yes an enjoyable evening and I would go again to another read through. 

Reviews and Previews

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/theatre/8426673.King_Lear__York_Theatre_Royal__October_3/

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