King Lear
23rd June – 30th July 2016
The Norrington Room, Blackwell's Bookshop
‘Blow winds and crack your cheeks!’
A spectacular return to Blackwell’s Bookshop, this play was set amongst towering book stacks in the beautiful Norrington Room. Each evening, we transformed this basement bookshop deep below the busy Oxford streets into a 186 seat theatre. Directed by Charlotte Conquest, the cast of just five actors wowed audiences as they took on all the parts in this tale of power, madness and betrayal.
Celebrating 20 years of Creation Theatre, as well as 50 years of The Norrington Room, this production was part of the Shakespeare Oxford 2016 programme in honour of the 400 year anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
Reviews
“Fruitful and delightful, combining inventiveness with a quirky venue to create yet another quality performance.” – Daily Info
“The story is told at a cracking pace, with lucid presentation of the parallel action involving the loyal Gloucester (Michael Sheldon) and his sons, the bad-hat Edmund and the virtuous Edgar.” – The Oxford Times
“Having actors step seamlessly between roles was an inspired idea…This is a Lear ‘not like any version you’ve seen before’, and you’re unlikely to see one like it again.” – The Oxford Culture Review
“This was a fantastic production of a classic that I would thoroughly recommend for Shakespeare fans and first-timers alike.” – The Oxford Student Review
“Creation Theatre channels the bookish vibe by using books as some of their very minimal props and to create clever sound effects. The costume design is outstanding…I highly recommend this excellent play ★★★★” – Stage Talk Magazine
