Matthew's Journal

This evening we went to see King Lear in Stratford. We ate at the Opposition beforehand (having seen it recommended by sigisgrim), who were good, and fitted us in despite our tardy arrival.

It was the best Lear I've seen, by some way. We had good seats, which helped, but still. It was immediate and powerful, the staging was minimal but well-used, the violence shocking, and the tragedy moving. There were several very strong performances - Gloucester and his sons and the fool stood out, as did Lear himself. I'm not sure they had a coherent idea of Lear's motivations early in the play, though. He became more sympathetic as he declined into madness. An excellent evening.