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| King Lear | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Play: William Shakespeare |
| Directed by | Michael Elliott |
| Starring | Laurence Olivier John Hurt Diana Rigg Leo McKern Dorothy Tutin Anna Calder-Marshall David Threlfall Colin Blakely Robert Lindsay Brian Cox |
| Composer | Gordon Crosse |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | David Plowright |
| Editors | D.L. Heyes Ron Swain (video-tape) |
| Running time | 158 minutes |
| Production company | Granada Television |
| Original release | |
| Release | 3 April 1983 (1983-04-03) |
King Lear (1983) is avideo production ofWilliam Shakespeare's 1606play of the same name, directed byMichael Elliott. It was broadcast in 1983 in the UK and in 1984 in the US.[1]
Elliott set hisLear in an environment resemblingStonehenge, although the production was entirely shot in a studio. The somewhat out-of-focus effect that one sees at certain moments is because mist pervades the setting in several scenes. In keeping with the primitive backdrop, this production emphasizes the primitive over the sophisticated. Shakespeare's characters use the clothing, weapons, and technology of theearly Bronze Age rather than theElizabethan era.[2]
Laurence Olivier playedLear in this production to great acclaim, winning anEmmy for his performance. It was the last of Olivier's appearances in a Shakespeare play. At 75, he was one of the oldest actors to take on this enormously demanding role. (He had previously played it in 1946 at theOld Vic, without much success).[3]
A notable cast was assembled for this production, including, in addition to Olivier,John Hurt (Fool),Diana Rigg (Regan),Leo McKern (Gloucester),Dorothy Tutin (Goneril),Anna Calder-Marshall (Cordelia),David Threlfall (Edgar),Colin Blakely (Kent), andRobert Lindsay (Edmund).[1] The set designer wasTanya Moiseiwitsch.[4]
Faye Dunaway turned down the part of Regan, electing to makeThe Wicked Lady (1983) instead.[5]
The Americansyndicated telecasts featured an introduction shot at the real Stonehenge, featuringPeter Ustinov as host. (Ustinov was host for all theMobil Showcase Theatre presentations, of which the OlivierKing Lear was one.) It has been released onDVD in both Region 1 and Region 2 editions.
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