Dan Colley’s Lost Lear is a compelling reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragedy that grips the audience from the outset and builds to a powerful, emotional climax. This serious and intriguing 75-minute production keeps you guessing until its final moments.

The stage is minimalist yet evocative: a full-length transparent curtain, a large movable chair, and a hanging clothes rail. As the audience settles, a projection appears on the curtain—a middle-aged woman applies stage makeup, then paints on wrinkles to age herself. A man steps from behind the curtain and briskly recaps the essentials of King Lear.  The king tests his three daughters to see who loves him most, hoping to retire with his 100 knights and live with them in return for parts of his kingdom. We’re also reminded of Lear’s descent into madness and his exit into the storm.

The curtain draws aside to reveal a woman seated in the chair, attended by a man who seems to be caring for her. We are watching a rehearsal of the “dividing of the kingdom” scene. The man slips into overdresses to play the two eldest sisters Regan and Goneril, and later the Fool. Another figure – a bald-headed man – stands awkwardly, clearly not an actor. Handed a script, he appears hopelessly out of his depth.