A Powerful Distillation of Shakespeare's Great Play

Starring: Richard Davey, Kiruna Stamell and Emma Hawkins

Peacock Theatre
Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tasmnania
Nov 29th - December 9th 2007
Monday to Saturday 8.00pm
Sunday 3.00pm
Bookings: Theatre Royal and Centertainment

Ticket Prices: Adult $35, Concession $25, Student $20

Produced by The Round Earth Company
In association with Atypical Theatre

Come, let's away to prison!
We two alone will sing like birds in a cage.
When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down
And ask of thee forgiveness.

Lear and his beloved daughter Cordelia, captured, imprisoned and - for a fateful hour - forgotten.

Outside the prison the peace and order of Lear's kingdom collapses into chaos, a political bloodbath born of the old Monarch's determination to hold onto power through his daughter, and by Cordelia's refusal to be her father's puppet.

But is it, inside the prison, all sweetness and light, blessing and forgiveness between Lear and his beloved daughter - these two birds in the cage?

Left in this limbo, Lear and Cordelia - through her alter ego, Lear's Fool - confront and purge the poisons that have corroded their love into hatred and despair, and their world into violence and chaos.

The language, every word, is Shakespeare's.

An original and brilliant interpretation which transplants the heart of
Shakespeare's King Lear into the 21st Century.

Click here to read The European Chronicle reports on the recent events leading up to the imprisonment of Lear and Cordelia.

ABOUT THE ROUND EARTH COMPANY AND ATYPICAL THEATRE
Richard Davey first produced King Lear forty years ago in Adelaide and has produced it since in Perth, New York and Hobart. The Madness of King Lear is the first time he has performed the role, in a play which explores the heart of Shakespeare's work. He is joined by two extraordinary performers from Atypical Theatre: Kiruna Stammell, an Australian now based in Manchester UK and established as a performer in the UK and Europe; and Emma Hawkins, currently fascinating audiences in Melbourne and Sydney in One More Than One.

Atypical Theatre Company was originally formed by Emma Hawkins and Kiruna Stamell, two short-statured performers. They met whilst working on different projects for Sydney Theatre Company. After receiving compliments on behalf of the each other, they decided it was time to meet. Instead of seeing the other as competition for the scarce number of roles available to short-statured people they formed a partnership and the Atypical Theatre Company was born.