King Lear and Shakespeare.

I was first introduced to Shakespeare, by seeing Ian Holm, play Richard III in Stratford upon Avon September in 1964. I was then only 21. Sir Peter Hall was producing the Wars of the Roses season. I was in Stratford for a week and slept out with friends to get tickets. I saw about six plays including: Henry IV parts one and Two. Trevor Griffiths, was an outstanding Falstaff and Ian Holm, as a superb Henry V. Then in London in September 1965 I saw David Warner, in Hamlet at the Aldwych Theatre - I've seen in all 6 Hamlets. Interestingly I've also now seen 6 productions of King Lear. The best was Anthony Hopkins, but Michael Gambon, was a close second. However on Saturday - was without doubt the very worst of all. It was at The Almeida Theatre - that I know well having lived close by for 10 years. This King Lear, Danny Sapani - was a travesty of the majesterial king - only bombast and bellicosity. No flexibility of emotional truth. Lear is on a rack and is being torn apart, especially for his deep love of his daughter Cordelia - played by an excellent Gloria Obianyo. The other two sisters, Goneril and Regan are lacking in authenticity and were only ciphers. The role of Fool is central in understanding Lear, because he is the other side of the coin. Lear and the Fool are emotional twins. Not in this production, where the Fool is a fool. He can't take on Lear as he is absurd in the role. We the audience are also robbed of understanding Lear, in this caricature performance. In the denouement scene, where Lear enters with a dead Cordelia - and utters the immoral words - why should a dog, a horse a rat have life and thou have no breath at all? A very disappointing production of a mighty tragedy. The great polymath academic writer and professor of English George Steiner - ranked this play as perhaps one of the greatest pieces of writing in the English language.