King Lear
King Lear
A family feud tears apart a kingdom in Shakespeare’s epic tragedy King Lear in the Globe Theatre this Summer.
When the aged King relinquishes his empire, he divides it amongst his three daughters, promising the largest share to the one who professes to love him the most. But when the balance of power transfers to the next generation, Lear is cast out by those he trusts, embarking on a maddening quest for self-knowledge and reconciliation.
A nightmarish family drama of global proportions, King Lear forces us to face our own humanity and the profound need for compassion.
Twenty-five years after their original, ground-breaking production, internationally lauded director, Helena Kaut-Howson, co-founder of theatre company Complicité, Marcello Magni, and ‘one of the greatest stage actors alive’ (Vanity Fair), Kathryn Hunter reunite to bring King Lear to a new generation. Kathryn reclaims the title role, with the Globe’s Artistic Director Michelle Terry as Cordelia and the Fool.
‘The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long’
(Act V, scene 3)
- Booking Information
All performances will be played at full capacity. The yard will be standing tickets. They ask audience to wear mask and ask for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative lateral flow test.
- Good To Know
All performances will be played at full capacity. The yard will be standing tickets. They ask audience to wear mask and ask for proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative lateral flow test.
Additional Details & FAQ
- Access Information
For more information regarding accessibility, please click here.
- Cancellation Policy
1. If you test positive for COVID-19, display symptoms, or are asked to isolate by NHS Test and Trace you can exchange your tickets.
2. If the show is cancelled due to COVID-19 or any other reason, you will be offered a free exchange or refund.
3. If the show is going ahead and you are able to attend, there will be no exchange or refund available.- Where Do I Go
Shakespeare’s Globe
21 New Globe Walk
Bankside
London
SE1 9DT
Reviews
Georgina
Jul 27, 2022
An incredible performance from the whole cast, and a fascinating look into how age and instability can affect relationships.
Claire Burrell
Jul 27, 2022
I was totally involved in this amazing production of King Lear ….. 3 hours flew and I was left wanting more. Catherine Hunter performance was captivating, her embodiment extraordinary and her timing delightful.
Valeria
Jul 25, 2022
I was deeply touched by the whole experience. Being a Shakespeare's lover, to stand in the audience, with the rain falling, the actors around me, was absolutely amazing. Kathryn Hunter is unique. Definitely worth it!
Suzanne
Jul 25, 2022
Enjoyed it.
Laura
Jul 25, 2022
Kathryn Hunter as Lear was so watchable, a fascinating portrayal of Lear which to me, brought more empathy to the character than I've previously seen. The character of the fool was phenomenonal (also the same actor as played Cordelia) and the supporting cast brought energy and audience participation to the play.
Devon
Jul 22, 2022
Greatly enjoyed the performance! Although the role of Lear was read by a stand-in, he did quite a good job with inflection and delivery.
Tessa Michael
Jul 22, 2022
I was really disappointed by the poor sound in my seat in the Gents box It was obvious that people in front of the stage were better able to hear what was being said....laughing. £54.00 is quite expensive not to HEAR a play. .... it after all about the spoken word
Linda Buckham
Jul 22, 2022
The King Lear performance at The Globe surpassed my expectations. The Thames River Gods must have heard the explosive applause! The cast are all exceptional actors with deeply honed dramatic intelligence and Kathryn Hunter’s interpretation of King Lear was insightful and empathetic. Highly recommended and so relevant in these times of political instability, virus plagues, increases in dementia and the challenges ageing brings. Do go to experience this wonderful King Lear.
Lalu Hanuman
Jul 22, 2022
Way too long! Almost 3 and a half hours!!!
Kevin Bourke
Jul 22, 2022
Having probably seen Shakespeare’s King Lear in excess of 30 times and having taught it on numerous occasions, last night’s production at The Globe, London, would have to be the BEST ever (and although I thought I would never say it), that includes performances by legends such as Derik Jacobi and Sir Ian McKellan. Lear was played by a woman, the legendary Kathryn Hunter, and her performance was beyond exceptional. The entire cast was flawless! This was a Lear for our times. Instead of the more traditional irrational, outraged Lear, this was a Lear who was exhausted with the world and even cynical about whether the gods exist. Given the state of the UK (and much of the western world) at the moment and the two candidates competing for power here in Westminister, the power of Shakespeare’s language was not lost on the audience. Lines such as “We have seen the best of times” and “”When we are born, we cry that we have come to this great stage of fools” took on a particukar resonance as did Lear’s utter confusion about the disintegrating world around him. Lear’s Fool, also played by a woman, represented Lear’s deeply buried former rational self as well as all of us who resort to hard hitting satire in these dark times. It is what stops us from falling into the dark abyss. Special mention must also be given yo the actor who played Edmund.
Sal Thompson
Jul 19, 2022
Fully immersive, captivating production. Loved every minute of this performance of King Lear.
Disappointed
Jul 19, 2022
I am a Shakespeare fan and have seen other plays which have been brilliant but this one was not good. It was difficult to hear some of the actors. There wasn’t much of a plot for such a long play. King Lear did not portray madness. It was such a shame this version was not convincing.
Susannah
Jul 17, 2022
I found the performance gripping and intriguing. I loved the actresses and actors interaction with each other which I found to be powerful and engaging. Also the dance at the end was awesome. My only critique was getting rather a sore bottom from sitting on the hard wooden benches and being a bit squashed..But I guess that's part of the experience :)
Paolo
Jul 17, 2022
Outstanding and moving! All the cast superb.
Bard fan
Jul 17, 2022
Great first experience of King Lear. Kathryn Hunter was exceptional. Eye ball scene was gruesome! The 2 "ugly sisters" were truly menacing, Edmund was captivating and Poor Tom believably mad! Performance slightly spoilt by constant business, whispering, gesturing and arguing between the stewards in pink jackets trying to stop people from sitting down in groundlings and trying to sneak onto paid seats. Next time will book tickets further up.
Michelle
Jul 17, 2022
For our first time at the Globe it was great. the actors were brilliant.
Anonymous K
Jul 16, 2022
Poor costumes, poor decorations. Same actors plays different characters difficult to understand who is who.
Eve
Jul 16, 2022
Do not miss this production
Clare Duggan
Jul 15, 2022
H
Alex Moore
Jul 15, 2022
Last night was magical storytelling the performers were wizards on stage casting their spell. King Lear is one of my favorite plays and the language and imagery were just first class.
Arinne Fatum
Jul 14, 2022
went to see it with Schlesinger (?) as King Lear and even with the script we were completely captured by their portrayal of the downfall of the King. The cast were all brilliant, i really loved the Jester/Cordelia, the fight scenes and gory scenes were also very well put together. As a groundling the audience involvement just made it so much fun to watch and to be a part of the production. Thank you so much!!
Renata K.B.
Jul 14, 2022
The actors performed passionately overall. For a last minute King Lear character, she did very well in her reading. However, I did not like the costumes--they appeared to change time periods and did not correspond with the play.
Diana Stevan
Jul 14, 2022
We thoroughly enjoyed the show. Beautifully cast, there were so many standouts. Ambitious and well-executed, the Globe’s King Lear is one we plan to see again before we leave London.
Sara Brewer
Jul 11, 2022
Deeply moving,
Sarah
Jul 11, 2022
Exceptional expercience!
Roger Potter
Jul 9, 2022
My first experience of The Globe and Shakespeare performance. An experience I will never forget. King Lear brought to life for me and enhanced my understanding of the play enormously. Wonderful acting in an intimate and historic setting. A perfect afternoon, congratulations to all involved.
Mary Farrelly
Jul 7, 2022
I’m sure this would have been a great production but we could not travel from Ireland as my husband tested positive for Covid. As there is no option for refunding tickets they were wasted.
Reuel Thompson
Jul 6, 2022
Fantastic performance.
Bob Clarke
Jul 6, 2022
Consistently strong performances by the entire cast. Spellbinding!
O Hetreed
Jul 5, 2022
Kathryn Hunter is remarkable and it was worth it to see her second version of Lear. The rest of the production seemed ragged, a mix of good ideas and wayward missteps that didn't cohere into an overall vision for this huge, complicated work. And at times voices and performances were lost in the challenging spaces of the Globe.
Barbara
Jul 4, 2022
Very good, but sometimes hard to hear everyone. Maybe actors need to project their voices more in the open air. King Lear was amazing.
Jayanth
Jul 4, 2022
Very engaging, wished there was some sort of acoustic accentuation…
Geoffrey Morgan
Jul 4, 2022
My son is going to NYU Tisch for theater next year. He and our whole family will never forget this first time visit to the Historic Globe, or the absolutely brilliant, incredible performance of King Lear. Our son Joemo was inspired. So we’re we all!
N
Jul 4, 2022
Ace, spectacular,marvellous! The best show I have seen in a very long time!
Mary Thompson
Jul 3, 2022
Kathryn hunter great portrayal of the aging King , all performances excellent . Live threstre in the globe a gem .Will be back
April Chaplin
Jul 3, 2022
We booked because it was Kathryn Hunter, whom we both respect as an actor and director - and we weren’t disappointed! Cordelia (a part that can quite often be insipid) paired with The Fool was superb - I was wondering how Lear was going to carry her on at the end - thank goodness there was a choice of wheeled props! Very strong performances all round (including the appearance of bat - what a star!)
Bartholomew Harvey
Jul 3, 2022
Was truly a great performance from all. Was engaging and gripping. First time seeing King Lear and was an absolute treat. Would also like to commend the actor filling in at last minute playing the Harold. Did a fantastic job!!! Would very much go again to the Globe, staff helpful and informative, and easy to find if needed.
We were in the yard. It was great to be able to get so close to the performance though it did become tiring after a while.Paula
Jul 3, 2022
We very much enjoyed our visit. We loved the relaxed atmosphere. An incredible performance, particularly by King Lear herself.
Elizabeth Kelly
Jul 3, 2022
This was a production to be savoured! Wonderful dynamic spirited brilliant acting. Moments of extraordinary intensity, tragedy as well as comic touches. Kent was a marvel, as were Cordelia and her two ugly sisters. The whole cast was wonderful. I loved the weirdness of Lear 'himself'. A stupendous production...
C.J.Crowley
Jul 2, 2022
This is a brilliant, lively, thoughtful Lear with a wonderfully good performance from Katherine Hunter in the title role. She delivers a powerful, achingly beautiful performance full of pathos and intense emotion. The Storm scene is realised with a powerful physicality which leaves you breathless and enthralled. Hunter’s deft and complex range of movement mean you simply cannot the ignore her haunting presence. She portrays ageing and the onset of madness with searing and intelligence. The production squeezes humour out of Lear making it relevant and relatable. The sight of a decaying kingdom and irrational leadership seem to resonate as a contemporary cautionary tale. This is a marvellous Lear magnificently realized by the very best of ensemble acting. Miss it at your peril.
PaulRelf
Jul 2, 2022
Well, from the off, there were a lot of cleverer people there than me who will give you a more detailed intellectual analysis etc but for me, just simply a bloke who loves live performance and the richness and poetry of Shakespeare’s language, yesterdays King Lear was marvellous. Well cast, performed and choreographed. Booking now for more summer and winter events.
Philip
Jul 1, 2022
Unfortunately, on the night I attended, three of the leads, including Lear, were sick. The stand ins were professionals, but had to read from a printed script. Therefore, I may well have seen a performance completely different from what the director intended. In any event, the play I saw was peppered with farcical treatments of tragic portions. This seemed about as appropriate as jokes about abusing children. I'm not taking about the character of the Fool, dark as he is, or the wordplay that characterizes all of Shakespeare's writing. But mugging through Act I Scene ii (for instance) is not just weird, it is darn near vandalism, IMO.
Anthony Fogden
Jun 30, 2022
Our first experience of The Globe. Atmosphere very good and the theatre itself wonderful. On arrival we had little expectation as neither myself or my wife have any real interest in Shakespeare. King Lear story line was difficult to follow at times. Actors/Actresses were however fantastic. It was sometimes difficult to pick up what was being said.
Katy Orourke
Jun 30, 2022
Acting was subzero, showing that trying to totally control a dynasty can end in family wipeout
Lorraine
Jun 30, 2022
Amazing show brimming with excellent talent and a fabulous venue. Kathryn Hunter was pure genius as Lear. Highly recommend!
L&M
Jun 30, 2022
I'd never bothered with the Globe before even though I'm fairly local.. Now I'm hooked. The atmosphere is phenomenal. Admittedly we had glorious weather and the Lear was amazing but I suspect that it would take a lot to make this a bad experience.
Catherine Hoare
Jun 29, 2022
It was utterly fantastic to be back standing in the Globe yard after an enforced absence of 3 years. The atmosphere was electric. I did, however, struggle slightly with this production. Each scene was superb in itself but I found the sub plots difficult to link together - perhaps it was a case of being out of practice with watching live Shakespeare. I look forward to returning to the Globe again later this summer.
RosieB
Jun 27, 2022
Fantastic performances by last substitution for missing casts. King Lear was incredible last minute read in.
Walney Virgilio
Jun 26, 2022
I liked the performance and I also understand that people get sick, however, I think that you should have informed us previously as I knew for a friend that Kathrym was not performing since last Sunday but I went to the Performance on last Friday 24 June. Not saying that the actor who read it was not good but I was expecting to see Kathryn Hunter.
Carolvanlint786@gmail.com
Jun 26, 2022
Good acting good stroy overall very good Have Stand I brought stool and told not use it