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| The King divides his kingdom in Act 1. |
To Rendlesham Forest to see the Red Rose Chain's production of King Lear.
Based in Ipswich, this independent professional theatre company manages to produce first class shows while working closely with young and vulnerable people in the community.
The Theatre in the Forest at Rendlesham is a wonderful venue. The stage enjoys the natural backdrop of the forest which lends itself to special effects of all sorts, particularly after dark. We were lucky that the weather was reasonably fine, since there is little shelter. Apparently the show goes on whatever the weather however.
It was a brave project to stage King Lear, which is probably the darkest and also the most explicit of Shakespeare's tragedies. I am not convinced that it was the best choice for a family evening out, but a certain amount of humour was extracted from material that might at first sight seem to be unpromising.
The second half, where the plot of the play gives little scope for jollification , was played more or less straight, and as a result was more successful dramatically than the first. However, the quality of the acting and communication of the poetry were very high throughout and overall the experience was an entertaining one.
I am looking forward to seeing the Red Rose Chain's next production.
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| The faithless Duke of Burgundy |
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| Edmund the Bastard |
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