School Lear

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 4

School Lear

Bj

HOWARD McNAUGHTON

“King Lear,” by William Shakespeare. Directed by J. E. Boardman for the Christ’s College Dramatic Society; College Hall, June 22 to 24. Running time: 8 p.m. to 10.5 p.m. The drawing power of the greatest tragedy in the language was what lured me to the Christ's College Hall last evening expecting. I admit.' l a tolerable treatment of the.; more energetic sub-plots J with the central tragedy re-) I maining inaccessible to formseven actors. I Surprisingly and gratify-’ ingly the reverse happened: 1 the performance of the title ' role turned out to be of an ’ astonishingly high quality J and. ably supported, meant that the scenes on the heath and at Dover reached an s appropriate magnitude while i the more southful intrigue t elements generally lacked conviction of evil. As Edmund, for example. 3 Todd Somerville shows a • ompctent stage manner but 1 x sensitivity that is scarcely ’ appropriate. The dirty deeds I

I tf the sisters similarly con- ' ey a good deal of spite but ittle of the lust that is also I jasic to the sub-plot. However, in the scenes where Lear is dominant the I tragedy is realised amply. To 1 this role. Peter Fitzgerald brings a voice of remarkable maturity, with a range of intonation and a sense of pause that makes his dragonish wrath, his senile lunacy, and his paternal howlings all very powerful. With a good sense of stage deportment and excellent directorial 'orchestration. he gives scenes like the trial on the heath a grotesque, deep ' pathos. Here he is supported by two other creditable performances: William Rolleston generates a good deal of noignanev as the Fool and John Rolleston develops from a tentative Edgar into a very moving Poor Tom. Patrick Phillips’s Gloucester achieves some stature after the blinding and. of the women. I particularly liked Juliet Utley’s cold Cordelia and Diana Carson's vocal strength as Regan. This is a straightforward, illustrative production of, great educational value to' both cast and audience.