Review: I Hate King Lear, Central Film School

Phoebe (Emily Bowden) is already on stage, seated at a desk, as the audience arrive. They are trying to read a book but are clearly no fan of the material: rocking back and forth, rolling their head and repeatedly slamming the book shut, their frustration obvious to all. They are tethered by a series of knotted lengths of fabric to their older sister Heather (Alexane Roger), who, by contrast, sits motionless to the side of the desk, slack-jawed and expressionless. A bright gold toy crown on the desk hints at the source of Phoebe’s frustration: the book is King Lear.

The first thing to note is the stage presence of both actors. Even after the lights dim, Bowden takes their time before addressing the audience, completely at ease on stage. Roger, meanwhile, barely moves throughout the piece neither limb nor facial expression shifts an inch in a remarkable display of self-control.

When Bowden does address us, it is with discipline, nuance and a quiet confidence that genuinely feels like a private conversation, as if we are part of the extended family. Phoebe is a mere 501 days younger than Heather, so while Heather once existed without Phoebe, Phoebe has never existed without Heather. The two have always been inseparable, through school and through the arrival of a sister ten years their junior. Phoebe speaks of a “sickness”: a misery that runs through the family, which the youngest seems to have escaped. At first she was the light of the household, adored by all, but Phoebe has noticed that the once-loving relationship with their father has become strained. Studying King Lear at school, Phoebe draws the parallels with her own family: Phoebe is Regan, Heather is Goneril and their younger sister is Cordelia. As anyone familiar with the play knows, this does not bode well for the two elder siblings, both of whom die by the end. With a glint in their eye, Phoebe turns to the audience and remarks that they really need to do something about that…

The writing is clever. It doesn’t just use Shakespeare’s play as a framing device, much of the text is also delivered fluently in Shakespearean verse. Lear is a beast of a play, with many layers, but Bowden has made it accessible, and despite the bare stage, their movement and command of language leave us in no doubt as to what is happening. Throughout, they remain tethered to their sister, a physical manifestation of the pair’s interdependence that becomes increasingly constraining as they grow older. It is fascinating how a 400-year-old script remains so fiercely relevant to family dynamics, something Bowden demonstrates many times through family dinners and other everyday routines.

Ultimately, if Phoebe is to survive, they must break the bond with their older sister and forge a new life. Can they do it? The denouement is sudden but dramatically refined, as Roger is shaken into action with a remarkable change in demeanour. No spoilers here, but a gasp from the audience was audible.

At 45 minutes, this is a tightly controlled performance, and holding a room like that from the very first moment is no easy feat. Bound to Shakespeare but never constrained by him, this is a clever, crafted and well executed piece of theatre. The lack of scenery and props reflects the one night only showing but I hope this finds new audiences. Particularly impressive is that Bowden wrote it as part of their final year at the Guildford School of Acting.

You can read more about this show in our interview from earlier this year here.

Written by Emily Bowden
Directed by Alexane Roger
Produced by Loser Club Productions

I Hate King Lear has completed its current run.