Last week, the Year 11 Drama class went to see King Lear by William Shakespeare in the ASB Waterfront Theatre. King Lear is the tale of an old king who puts his trust in the false words of his two eldest daughters, whilst ignoring the goodness of his youngest child, Cordelia. As the king’s relationships with his daughters falls apart he starts his slow descent into madness. This performance was phenomenally staged, and the acting itself was very powerful. While Shakespearean might seem hard to understand, the actors did a fantastic job of helping the young audience understand what was going on. The traverse set was incredible, with a mirror at one end that shattered just at the point where Lear tipped into complete madness, and actual water falling on stage during the storm scene. After watching such a stellar performance, I intend on incorporating some of the passion that I saw in this performance in my own work.

By Cailtin Spear (Year 11)