Two men on stage hugging each other

King Lear

William Shakespeare

King Lear written around 1605 – 1606 is considered as one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies; a story of ignorance and deceit, as King Lear is unable to see beyond the lies of his eldest daughters.

Past productions

Our productions of King Lear over the years have included many famous actors playing the title role: John Gielgud in 1950 and 1955; Michael Redgrave in 1953; Charles Laughton in 1959; Paul Scofield in 1962; Eric Porter in 1968; Donald Sinden in 1976; Michael Gambon in 1982; Robert Stephens in 1993; Nigel Hawthorne in 1999; Corin Redgrave in 2004; Ian McKellen in 2007; and Greg Hicks in 2010.

Here you can find out more about some of our key past productions, giving you an insight into how they were staged and the directorial choices that were made.