King Lear - Stratford Upon Avon Tickets

Greg Hicks and David Farr re-team for this new staging of William Shakespeare’s most popular tragedy “King Lear”.  The production is the latest pairing of the two for the Royal Shakespeare Company and appears at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford upon Avon.

Also appearing is another Royal Shakespeare Company regular Kathryn Hunter, whose role of the Fool marks her latest collaboration with the company following hits like “Othello”, “The Grain Store”, “Romeo and Juliet” and the upcoming “Antony and Cleopatra”, where Michael Boyd directs her in another of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

“King Lear” is often celebrated as, not only one of his greatest tragedies, but one of his greatest achievements as a playwright. Penned between 1603 and 1606 it is held in high regard, with movies, television programmes and staging after staging maintaining its hold on modern culture since it was first seen over four hundred years ago.

It tells the story of the eponymous King, whose hold to power is shattered when he makes the mistake of distributing his estate to those that suitably flatter him. This error not only costs him his pride, but also forces him to descend into madness, with his only remaining option to head out into the wilderness and spend his days with only a fool and a madman by his side.

Greg Hicks takes on this iconic role, which is based on the mythical legend of Leir of Britain – a Celtic king who predates the Roman occupation of the country. Hicks has appeared in numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company in a career that spans from 1976 to the modern day. His credits include “Julius Caesar” in 2009 and “Macbeth” and “Hamlet”, both in 2004, whilst his 2003 role in “Coriolanus” at the Old Vic Theatre earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award. His talents also extend to the screen, where his credits include classic television shows like “Bergerac”, “Fortunes of War” and “Northanger Abbey”, plus more recent programmes like “Waking the Dead”.

Meanwhile, director David Farr has enjoyed a directing and writing career that also extends from the stage to the screen. His credits include “Spooks” for BBC1, “Hannah” for Focus Features and theatrical productions such as “Metamorphosis” at the Lyric Hammersmith.

“King Lear” runs at the Courtyard Theatre from Tuesday 2nd March 2010 (previews from Thursday 18th February 2010) until Thursday 26th August 2010.