Lear review – this matriarchal monarch’s tragedy is personal not political
Maureen Beattie leads a modern-dress version, which focuses on family dynamics rather than the decline of Shakespeare’s mighty ruler
May 2026
Fit for a king: Ian McKellen to play Lear at newly rebuilt Yard theatre in east London
Michael Pennington was an actor of astonishing range, a wise writer and witty company
April 2026
The play’s the thing – but everyone has their own favourite
Ranked
To see or not to see? Every single Shakespeare play – ranked!
November 2025
‘I’m not just putting on nice plays’: Hollywood star Alan Cumming’s plan to reignite theatre in the Scottish Highlands
What is the effervescent new boss at Pitlochry theatre planning for his first season? Huge names, undersung stars – and a King Lear played by ‘the woman who changed my life’
October 2025
My Right Foot review – wryly humorous look at life with a terminal illness
Mixing childhood memories, songs and Shakespeare, Michael Patrick delivers a one-man show about the reality of being given four years to live
September 2025
‘The storm for Lear is inside him’: Crossing choppy seas to bring Shakespeare to Isles of Scilly
RSC touring troupe stage King Lear in a school hall on St Mary’s before continuing to the Isle of Wight
August 2025
Lost Lear review – Shakespeare’s king holds court in a care home
In Dan Colley’s evocative play, a retired actor with dementia loops through scenes from the classic tragedy
July 2025
King Lear is an absolute masterpiece – as told by Akira Kurosawa rather than Shakespeare
Michael Billington
The best theatre to stream this month
The best theatre to stream this month: Stereophonic’s suite of addictive songs
November 2024
‘In his company, you never knew what would happen next’: remembering Timothy West
Whether doing King Lear with students or performing soliloquies in complete darkness, the great actor was driven by curiosity
June 2024
King Lear review – veteran Robert Menzies leads a minimalist take on Shakespeare tragedy
‘The war was not going to stop me’: amateur Ukrainian actors stage King Lear in UK
April 2024
Brief letters
An optimal solution for rough sleepers?
Letters: Homelessness and car thefts | Shakespearian sound effects | Baking with paraffin | Showing your shilling | Pre-milkshake joy
February 2024
The week in theatre: An Enemy of the People; King Lear; Double Feature – review
King Lear review – Yaël Farber’s modern-dress take is shockingly vicious and supremely moving
November 2023
OK, Kenneth Branagh isn’t great as King Lear – but have you seen his abs?
Zing Tsjeng
The week in theatre: King Lear; Lyonesse; Pied Piper – review
October 2023
King Lear review – Kenneth Branagh’s fast and feverish tragedy
At two hours with no interval, the actor-director’s production hurtles past at such speed that the depths of the play are too rarely realised
