First performance: Royal Theatre, February 28, 2009
Last performance: May 24, 2009
National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia: 29-30 May 2009
Reprise: Pallas Theatre
November 7 – December 5, 2010.
King Lear is regarded by many as Shakespeare’s greatest creation. The existential anguish of man, his tragic confrontation with fate, old age, death, and madness, the struggle for power, and the decay resulting from its exercise are depicted in an unparalleled manner in this poetic masterpiece. Written in an era of conflicts and upheavals, it resonates as loudly as ever today. The play is presented in a new, contemporary translation by Dionysis Kapsalis, while the performance features actors from the younger generation of Greek theatre.
Source: National Theatre of Northern Greece
Note from director Stathis Livathinos:
The timeless story of the autocratic king, who demands the devotion and love of his three daughters in exchange for wealth and power, written by Shakespeare 400 years ago, is brought to our silenced era by a company of young people, with Nikitas Tsakiroglou as the protagonist. It is a harsh fairy tale, a tempestuous work where the passion of young people for an independent life clashes with the stubbornness and irrationality of the elderly. This tragic tale of madmen leading the blind, and of the elderly selfishly giving birth to ungrateful children, remains as relevant as ever.
Directed by: Stathis Livathinos
Translated by: Dionysis Kapsalis
Set & Costume Designer: Eleni Manolopoulou
Music: Thodoris Abazis
Lighting Design: Alekos Anastasiou
Movement Supervisor: Nikolai Karpov
Dramaturg: Amalia Kontogianni
Assistant Director: Stella Papadimitriou
Assistant Set Designer: Andreas Paraskevopoulos
Production Management: Rodi Stefanidou
Cast:
King Lear: Nikitas Tsakiroglou
Edgar: Stelios Andronikou
Cordelia: Eftychia Giakoumi
Goneril: Marianna Dimitriou
Earl of Kent: Meletis Ilias
Oswald: Nikos Kapelios
Captain: Paschalis Karatzas
Duke of Burgundy | Herald: Dimitris Kontos
Curan: Kimon Kouris
Physician: Yorgos Konstantinidis
Duke of Albany: Dionysis Boulas
King of France: Christos Papadimitriou
Edmund: Efthymis Pappas
Fool: Asteris Peltekis
Duke of Cornwall: Christos Sougaris
Regan: Polyxeni Spyropoulou
Servant to the Duke of Cornwall: Nikos Tournakis
Earl of Gloucester: Yiannis Harisis
Musicians:
Bass: Christos Klaros
Electric Guitar: Panagiotis Papazoglou
Drums: Thodoros Hytiris
During the reprise of the performance at the “Pallas” Theatre, the following replacements took place:
Regan: Penelope Markopoulou
King of France: Giorgis Tsampourakis
Oswald: Konstantinos Aspiotis
Duke of Burgundy | Captain: Paschalis Karatzas
Curan: Thanasis Akokalidis
Servant to the Duke of Cornwall: David Maltzeze
Gloucester’s Attendant: Georgios Nousis
Herald: Fotis Tsotoulidis
Stathis Livathinos received the International Repertoire Theatre Award from the Association of Greek Theatre and Music Critics “for his dynamic and innovative approach to the direction of the play King Lear by William Shakespeare at the National Theatre of Northern Greece.”