“Which of you shall we say doth love us most?” Lear hands over control of his global business empire to his daughters. In his Shanghai penthouse, he asks them to justify their inheritance. The older sisters flatter their father in elegant Chinese but English educated Cordelia, no longer fluent in her father’s tongue, says “Nothing” and the loss of face sends Lear into a spiral of fury and madness.

This bold UK premiere of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy is given an exciting modern spin with Britain’s award winning YET and China’s contemporary SDAC, featuring Chinese movie star Zhou Yemang as Lear. Using video, music and aerial work, this version addresses the miscommunication that arises from migration and Lear’s search for Taoist enlightenment.

In English and Mandarin with English subtitles.

November 2006

Wolverhampton, Liverpool and London

Creative team

Adapter and Director: David KS Tse

Cast

Zhou Yemang
Zhang Lu
Xie Li
David Yip
Nina Kwok