Type – Shakespearean Tragedy, Modern Political Lens
If you liked – Political and family drama; Succession; Ozark; There Will Be Blood
King Lear: “’Tis the time’s plague, when madmen lead the blind,” this is a must see for Shakespeare fans and creatives
King Lear is one of Shakespeare’s very late plays, and the extent of nihilism, betrayal, chaos, and existential fear embodied in the play means that old Will must have been having some pretty bad nightmares at the time. It begins with a fairly straightforward plot of an old king handing out his bequests to his three daughters ahead of time, so he can relax and enjoy himself hanging around their homes as he “crawls toward death”. Then it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.
There is such a riot of themes covered in the hefty three-hour plus performance, director Eamon Flack has had so settle on which particular throughlines he wants to foreground. The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters focuses on power and inheritance, the importance of wealth and its pernicious effects on humanity, as well as the insignificance and powerlessness of human creatures in the face of an unpredictable universe that is utterly indifferent to we puny humans.
If anyone doubts Shakespeare’s ability to draw out the essence of the best and worst of humans, just watch this play. In its broken world, truth is malleable. Those who stick to honesty are punished, ‘Fools’ speak elaborate nonsense wherein meaning is hidden, some have to pretend to be mad to survive, people have to go blind literally to realise the truth. Meanwhile, women are used, abused, reviled; they try and wrest the power from the males and ultimately turn on themselves and are destroyed by their own ambition. It’s a documentary about contemporary Western politics in 2025.
But hey, don’t let that put you off! This is a compelling, nuanced and high quality production from a company at the top of its game. Other theatre makers should go and see it at least and learn some tips as to how to effectively stage Shakespeare to bring out character and theme.
A Stripped Back Lear
Bob Cousins’ set is stripped back to bare boards and dark walls, like the poor fools in the play, including Lear, who are stripped back to their essential cores as a test of their integrity. Flack therefore maximises the text and the skills of the actors, there are no props or scenery to augment their performances. He does this well and uses physical movement and precise placement of characters around the stage to explicate what’s going on. He’s also not afraid to use pauses and measured phrasing, to underline key moments in plot or character development. With the constant tumble of scenes rapidly unfolding, sometimes it feels slightly disjointed but soon returns on track. Perhaps some deft editing may be in order.
Morgan Moroney’s lighting is fairly stark, giving no one anywhere to hide, and it comes into its own during the famous storm on the heath, with a highly emotive blackout at the end. James Stibilj’s costumes are normcore Uniqlo, giving everyone a relatable and recognisable persona. Music and sound by Arjunan Puveendran and Steve Francis provides an unsettling atmosphere, sometimes providing a counterpoint to the action, sometimes a rhythmic hammer beat, which sometimes is just a tad too loud for the actors to shout over.
An Actors’ Play
This is an actors’ play, with rich, complicated and nuanced character development, and Flack has gathered a talented and proficient troupe together. Colin Friels in the lead role gives the performance of his career, bringing the ageing, demanding, impulsive Lear to life, with plenty of light, shade and nuance in his character’s progress during the play.
The supporting cast are all extremely strong and bring their roles to life with emotion, humour and viciousness as needed. Charlotte Friels as Goneril and Jana Zvedeniuk as Regan have developed a predatory and cruel double act that makes Lady Macbeth look like Mother Theresa. It was an interesting and effective touch to create the role of Gloucester with Alison Whyte, who brings an extra dimension of pathos to Edmund’s betrayal, as his mother. Ahunim Abebe unfortunately does not get much stage time as Cordelia, but she packs a punch when she does have the spotlight.
Is The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three DaughtersWorth Seeing in Sydney?
Hard core Shakespeare fans will find plenty to love and debate about in this production. Those less familiar should still experience this play, and this is a stunning performance with which to educate yourself about The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. Hunger for power, human depravity, betrayal and redemption never goes out of fashion.
Tickets and Practical Info for The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters in Sydney 🎟️
By William Shakespeare. Directed by Eamon Flack
Belvoir Theatre, Surry Hills until 4 January 2026
Tickets: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/king-lear/
CAST
Ahunim Abebe: Cordelia
Peter Carroll: Fool
Tom Conroy: Edgar
James Fraser: Oswald
Charlotte Friels: Goneril
Colin Friels: King Lear
Raj Labade: Edmund
Brandon McClelland: Kent
Conor Merrigan Turner: France, Others & Understudy
Sukhbir (Sunny) Singh Walia: Albany
Alison Whyte: Countess of Gloucester
Charles Wu: Cornwall
Jana Zvedeniuk: Regan
CREATIVES
Directed by: Eamon Flack
Set Designer: Bob Cousins
Costume Designer: James Stibilj
Co-Composer & Sound Designer: Steve Francis
Co-Composer: Arjunan Puveendran
Lighting Designer: Morgan Moroney
Assistant Director: Margaret Thanos
Fight Director & Intimacy Coordinator: Nigel Poulton
Additional Movement Director: Charmene Yap
Vocal Coach: Laura Farrell & Patrick Klavins
Stage Manager: Luke McGettigan
Assistant Stage Manager: Rebecca Dilley
Musicians – Hilary Geddes, Jess Green, Arjunan Puveendran
