King Lear

Jonathan Miller
1982-09-19


6
185 min

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.

Cast

Name Character Team
Michael Hordern King Lear Unowned
Brenda Blethyn Cordelia Unowned
John Shrapnel Earl of Kent Unowned
Norman Rodway Earl of Gloucester Unowned
Michael Kitchen Edmund Unowned
Gillian Barge Goneril Unowned
Penelope Wilton Regan Unowned
John Bird Duke of Albany Unowned
Julian Curry Duke of Cornwall Unowned
David Weston Duke of Burgundy Unowned
Harry Waters King of France Unowned
Anton Lesser Edgar Unowned
John Grillo Oswald Unowned
Iain Armstrong First Gentleman Unowned
Frank Middlemass Fool Unowned
Ken Stott Curan Unowned
Stuart Blake First Servant Unowned
Tony Sympson Second Servant Unowned
Peter Walmsley Third Servant Unowned
George Howe Doctor Unowned
John Dallimore Second Gentleman Unowned
Tim Brown Captain Unowned
Adam Kurakin Herald Unowned
Fraser Wilson Third Gentleman Unowned
Richard Albrecht Officer Unowned