King Lear

It is practically a professional ritual for distinguished Shakespearean actors of a certain age to assume the title role in the Bard's great tragedy about an elderly king who unwisely doles out his realm to his three daughters on the basis of their professions of love, only to learn that actions speak louder than words. This 2016 Royal Shakespeare Company production gave Sir Antony Sher, then 67, the opportunity to take on the dramatic equivalent of scaling Everest. On the whole his is an impressive Lear, particularly in terms of diction and projection: his treatment of the verse is precise, and even during diatribes he never degenerates into mere ranting. At the same time, however, there is a studied, slightly affected tone to his approach that keeps this portrayal from reaching a shatteringly poignant level. Sher is surrounded by a supporting cast that ranges from the remarkable (Paapa Essiedu's Edmund, David Troughton's Gloucester) to the merely competent (Natalie Simpson's Cordelia, Graham Turner's Fool), while Gregory Doran's staging, which sometimes situates the king in a transparent cubicle and swathes him in mounds of fur, is often more forced than revelatory. Although this represents a signal achievement for one of the most accomplished Shakespearean actors of our time, it ultimately fails to match the impact of either Trevor Nunn's RSC production with Ian McKellen (VL Online-7/09) or Richard Eyre's Royal National Theatre version starring Ian Holm (VL-1/05). Extras include an audio commentary by Doran, an interview with Sher, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a cast gallery. Recommended, overall. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)