Difference between revisions of "King Lear"
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| − | by William Shakespeare. The play was written between 1603 and 1606 and later revised. The earlier version, ''The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters'', was published in quarto in 1608, and ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', a more theatrical version, was included in the 1623 First Folio. The first recorded performance appears to have been on 26 December 1606. | + | ''[[King Lear]]'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare]. |
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| + | == The original text == | ||
| + | |||
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| + | The play was written between 1603 and 1606 and later revised. The earlier version, ''[[The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters]]'', was published in quarto in 1608, and ''[[The Tragedy of King Lear]]'', a more theatrical version, was included in the 1623 First Folio. The first recorded performance appears to have been on 26 December 1606. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Translations and adaptations== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Translated into [[Afrikaans]] as ''[[Koning Lear]]'' by [[Uys Krige]] Published by [[HAUM]], 1971. | ||
== Performance history in South Africa == | == Performance history in South Africa == | ||
| − | + | 1895-6: Performed at the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg, as part of a season of Shakespeare by the [[W.J. Holloway]] company, under the auspices of the [[Wheeler Theatre Company]]. Besides Holloway himself ( as "Lear"), the company included [[W. Haviland]], [[Gerald Lawrence]], [[Leonard Rayne]], [[John Nesbitt]], [[Amy Coleridge]] and [[Amy Grace]]. The company also played other cities, including the [[Opera House]], Cape Town, for a season that opened in May 1896. | |
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| − | 1895: | ||
| − | 1936: | + | 1936: Presented by the [[Little Theatre Players]] as the first Shakespeare to be done at the [[Little Theatre]], directed by [[Cecil Tugman]]. |
1954: Produced by [[Leon Gluckman]] at the [[Wits Theatre Complex|Wits University Great Hall]] in 1954, directed by [[Elizabeth Sneddon]] with Gluckman as Lear. | 1954: Produced by [[Leon Gluckman]] at the [[Wits Theatre Complex|Wits University Great Hall]] in 1954, directed by [[Elizabeth Sneddon]] with Gluckman as Lear. | ||
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1960: A production by [[Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival]], 1960, with [[André Huguenet]] as Lear. | 1960: A production by [[Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival]], 1960, with [[André Huguenet]] as Lear. | ||
| − | 1966: [[Maynardville]]: Presented by [[Cecilia Sonnenberg]] and [[René Ahrenson]] in January 1966, directed by British director Alexander Doré on his first visit to South Africa. The cast: [[Johann Nell]] as Lear, [[Roy Searl]], [[Roger Spence]], [[Michael Fisher]], [[Robert Del Kyrke]], [[Will Jamieson]], [[Limpie Basson]], [[Michael Newell]], [[Robin Malan]], [[Joey Wishnia]], [[David Goatham]], [[Ron Fenton|Ronald Fenton]] and others. | + | 1962: [[Mavis Taylor]] directed a production by the [[Little Theatre Players]] in October. |
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| + | 1966: [[Maynardville]]: Presented by [[Cecilia Sonnenberg]] and [[René Ahrenson]] in January 1966, directed by British director [[Alexander Doré]] on his first visit to South Africa. The cast: [[Johann Nell]] as Lear, [[Roy Searl]], [[Roger Spence]], [[Michael Fisher]], [[Robert Del Kyrke]], [[Will Jamieson]], [[Limpie Basson]], [[Michael Newell]], [[Robin Malan]], [[Joey Wishnia]], [[David Goatham]], [[Ron Fenton|Ronald Fenton]] and others. | ||
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| + | 1969: [[PACT]] did a version with [[Joe Stewardson]] as Lear, directed by [[Robert Mohr]] at the [[Alexander Theatre]]. Also starring [[John Rogers]] (Edgar), [[Anthony James]] as the Fool, [[George Jackson]], [[John Hayter]], [[Kerry Jordan]], [[Fiona Fraser]], [[Molly Seftel]], [[Judy Seligman]], [[Hugh Rouse]], [[Frank Douglass]] and others. Costumes designed by [[Aubrey Cauling]], set designed by [[Raimond Schoop]]. | ||
| − | + | 1971: A controversial production of ''[[Koning Lear]]'', the [[Afrikaans]] version by [[Uys Krige]], directed by [[Dieter Reible]] and featuring [[Cobus Rossouw]] as Lear) was done by [[CAPAB]] at the [[Nico Malan Theatre]] in Cape Town opening 28 May 1971 as the first production in the new theatre by the [[Afrikaans]] company. The rest of the cast were [[Siegfried Mynhardt]], [[Pieter Joubert]], [[Jannie Gildenhuys]], [[Johan Malherbe]], [[Katinka Heyns]], [[Margot Luyt]], [[Sandra Kotzé]], [[David Haynes]], [[Mees Xteen]], [[Chris Swanepoel]], [[Martin Crous]], [[Paul Malherbe]], [[Paul Slabolepszy]], [[Price Coetzee]], [[Johann Potgieter]], [[Barry White]], [[Graham Prosser]]. Costumes by [[Beatrice Maurer]], decor by [[Pieter de Swardt]]. | |
1974: A [[CAPAB]] production of the play was performed for the opening of the [[1820 Settlers Monument]] in Grahamstown under the direction of [[Roy Sargeant]] with [[Michael Atkinson]] in the title role on 8 July. This production opened in the [[Nico Malan Theatre]] on 18 July 1974. | 1974: A [[CAPAB]] production of the play was performed for the opening of the [[1820 Settlers Monument]] in Grahamstown under the direction of [[Roy Sargeant]] with [[Michael Atkinson]] in the title role on 8 July. This production opened in the [[Nico Malan Theatre]] on 18 July 1974. | ||
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1981: A production by [[PACT]] in the [[State Theatre|Staatsteater]], Pretoria [[Anthony James]]. | 1981: A production by [[PACT]] in the [[State Theatre|Staatsteater]], Pretoria [[Anthony James]]. | ||
| − | 1998 A production by the [[Take Away Shakespeare Company]], directed by [[James Whyle]] toured the country, also playing the [[Grahamstown Festival]]. | + | 1990: A production of Krige's [[Afrikaans]] text was done by [[PACT]], directed by [[Francois Swart]] (assisted by [[Tjaart Potgieter]]), with [[Louis van Niekerk]] (Lear), [[Peter Se-Puma]], [[Bill Curry]], [[André Stolz]], [[Tjaart Potgieter]], [[Gys de Villiers]], [[Johan Malherbe]], [[André Odendaal]], [[Kevin Smith]], [[Leslie Fong]], [[Dan Sebogodi]], [[Pieter Brand]], [[Antoinette Kellermann]] (Goneril), [[Hélène Truter]] (Regan), [[Natania van Heerden]] (Cordelia), [[Pierre Perold]], [[Nomsa Nene]], [[Nomsa Xaba]]. Design by [[Chris van den Berg]], lighting design by [[Paul Pamboukian]]. |
| + | |||
| + | 1998 A production by the [[Take Away Shakespeare Company]], directed by [[James Whyle]] toured the country, also playing the [[Grahamstown Festival]]. The cast: [[Sean Taylor]], [[Deon Stewardson]], [[Jennifer Steyn]], [[Anna-Mart van der Merwe]], [[Stephen Jennings]], [[David Butler]], [[Helene Lombard]], [[Greg Melvill-Smith]], [[Antony Coleman]] and [[Shane Howarth]]. Percussion by [[Jahn Beukes]]. | ||
| − | 2002: A production by the [[North West Arts Drama Youth Group]], directed by [[ | + | 2002: A production by the [[North West Arts Drama Youth Group]], directed by [[Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom]] at the [[Grahamstown Festival]], June/July 2002 |
2006: [[The Actor's Co-Operative]] in association with the [[Playhouse Company]] presented the play at the [[Playhouse|Playhouse Drama]] in Durban. | 2006: [[The Actor's Co-Operative]] in association with the [[Playhouse Company]] presented the play at the [[Playhouse|Playhouse Drama]] in Durban. | ||
| − | == | + | 2012: Performed at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Cape Town, directed by [[Guy de Lancey]], starring [[Graham Weir]] in the title role, [[Jeroen Kranenburg]], [[Adrian Collins]], [[Nicholas Pauling]], [[Adam Neill]], [[Adrian Galley]], [[Darren Arraujo]], [[Pierre Malherbe]], [[Shaun Acker]], [[Matthew Alves]], [[Kim Kerfoot]], [[Nicholas Dallas]], [[Juliana Venter]], [[Emily Child]], [[Deborah Vieyra]], [[John Skotnes]] and [[Gerhard Rasch]]. Lighting Design by [[Guy de Lancey]]. Wardrobe by [[Leila Anderson]] and [[Alicia McCormick]]. |
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| + | == Sources == | ||
| − | + | Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Lear] | |
| + | [[ESAT Bibliography I|Inskip]], 1972. pp.121, 149. | ||
| − | + | ''[[Teater SA|Theatre S.A.]]'', 1(4), 1969. | |
| − | + | ''[[King Lear]]'' theatre programmes, 1966, 1974. | |
| − | + | ''[[Koning Lear]]'' theatre programme May 1971. | |
| − | '' | + | [[Antoinette Kellerman]]'s annotated copy of the typed text of ''[[Koning Lear]]'' for the 1990 [[PACT]] production, found in the [[Stellenbosch Drama Department]] archives in 2022. |
| − | '' | + | [[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: p. 404. |
| − | [[ | + | Review by [[Astrid Stark]], ''[[Cape Times]]'', 11 April 2012. |
| − | Go to [[ | + | Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]] |
== Return to == | == Return to == | ||
| − | Return to [[ | + | Return to [[PLAYS I: Original SA plays]] |
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[PLAYS II: Foreign plays]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[PLAYS III: Collections]] | ||
| − | Return to [[ | + | Return to [[PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances]] |
| − | Return to [[ | + | Return to [[South_African_Festivals|South African Festivals and Competitions]] |
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]] | Return to [[The ESAT Entries]] | ||
Return to [[Main Page]] | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
Latest revision as of 06:00, 10 January 2023
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)[1].
Contents
The original text
The play was written between 1603 and 1606 and later revised. The earlier version, The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters, was published in quarto in 1608, and The Tragedy of King Lear, a more theatrical version, was included in the 1623 First Folio. The first recorded performance appears to have been on 26 December 1606.
Translations and adaptations
Translated into Afrikaans as Koning Lear by Uys Krige Published by HAUM, 1971.
Performance history in South Africa
1895-6: Performed at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg, as part of a season of Shakespeare by the W.J. Holloway company, under the auspices of the Wheeler Theatre Company. Besides Holloway himself ( as "Lear"), the company included W. Haviland, Gerald Lawrence, Leonard Rayne, John Nesbitt, Amy Coleridge and Amy Grace. The company also played other cities, including the Opera House, Cape Town, for a season that opened in May 1896.
1936: Presented by the Little Theatre Players as the first Shakespeare to be done at the Little Theatre, directed by Cecil Tugman.
1954: Produced by Leon Gluckman at the Wits University Great Hall in 1954, directed by Elizabeth Sneddon with Gluckman as Lear.
1960: A production by Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival, 1960, with André Huguenet as Lear.
1962: Mavis Taylor directed a production by the Little Theatre Players in October.
1966: Maynardville: Presented by Cecilia Sonnenberg and René Ahrenson in January 1966, directed by British director Alexander Doré on his first visit to South Africa. The cast: Johann Nell as Lear, Roy Searl, Roger Spence, Michael Fisher, Robert Del Kyrke, Will Jamieson, Limpie Basson, Michael Newell, Robin Malan, Joey Wishnia, David Goatham, Ronald Fenton and others.
1969: PACT did a version with Joe Stewardson as Lear, directed by Robert Mohr at the Alexander Theatre. Also starring John Rogers (Edgar), Anthony James as the Fool, George Jackson, John Hayter, Kerry Jordan, Fiona Fraser, Molly Seftel, Judy Seligman, Hugh Rouse, Frank Douglass and others. Costumes designed by Aubrey Cauling, set designed by Raimond Schoop.
1971: A controversial production of Koning Lear, the Afrikaans version by Uys Krige, directed by Dieter Reible and featuring Cobus Rossouw as Lear) was done by CAPAB at the Nico Malan Theatre in Cape Town opening 28 May 1971 as the first production in the new theatre by the Afrikaans company. The rest of the cast were Siegfried Mynhardt, Pieter Joubert, Jannie Gildenhuys, Johan Malherbe, Katinka Heyns, Margot Luyt, Sandra Kotzé, David Haynes, Mees Xteen, Chris Swanepoel, Martin Crous, Paul Malherbe, Paul Slabolepszy, Price Coetzee, Johann Potgieter, Barry White, Graham Prosser. Costumes by Beatrice Maurer, decor by Pieter de Swardt.
1974: A CAPAB production of the play was performed for the opening of the 1820 Settlers Monument in Grahamstown under the direction of Roy Sargeant with Michael Atkinson in the title role on 8 July. This production opened in the Nico Malan Theatre on 18 July 1974.
1977 Roy Sargeant directed the play for CAPAB, with Michael Atkinson, **
1981: A production by PACT in the Staatsteater, Pretoria Anthony James.
1990: A production of Krige's Afrikaans text was done by PACT, directed by Francois Swart (assisted by Tjaart Potgieter), with Louis van Niekerk (Lear), Peter Se-Puma, Bill Curry, André Stolz, Tjaart Potgieter, Gys de Villiers, Johan Malherbe, André Odendaal, Kevin Smith, Leslie Fong, Dan Sebogodi, Pieter Brand, Antoinette Kellermann (Goneril), Hélène Truter (Regan), Natania van Heerden (Cordelia), Pierre Perold, Nomsa Nene, Nomsa Xaba. Design by Chris van den Berg, lighting design by Paul Pamboukian.
1998 A production by the Take Away Shakespeare Company, directed by James Whyle toured the country, also playing the Grahamstown Festival. The cast: Sean Taylor, Deon Stewardson, Jennifer Steyn, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Stephen Jennings, David Butler, Helene Lombard, Greg Melvill-Smith, Antony Coleman and Shane Howarth. Percussion by Jahn Beukes.
2002: A production by the North West Arts Drama Youth Group, directed by Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom at the Grahamstown Festival, June/July 2002
2006: The Actor's Co-Operative in association with the Playhouse Company presented the play at the Playhouse Drama in Durban.
2012: Performed at the Intimate Theatre in Cape Town, directed by Guy de Lancey, starring Graham Weir in the title role, Jeroen Kranenburg, Adrian Collins, Nicholas Pauling, Adam Neill, Adrian Galley, Darren Arraujo, Pierre Malherbe, Shaun Acker, Matthew Alves, Kim Kerfoot, Nicholas Dallas, Juliana Venter, Emily Child, Deborah Vieyra, John Skotnes and Gerhard Rasch. Lighting Design by Guy de Lancey. Wardrobe by Leila Anderson and Alicia McCormick.
Sources
Wikipedia [2]
Inskip, 1972. pp.121, 149.
Theatre S.A., 1(4), 1969.
King Lear theatre programmes, 1966, 1974.
Koning Lear theatre programme May 1971.
Antoinette Kellerman's annotated copy of the typed text of Koning Lear for the 1990 PACT production, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022.
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: p. 404.
Review by Astrid Stark, Cape Times, 11 April 2012.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
