When it comes to the tragedies of William Shakespeare, the most heartfelt and poignant one has probably got to be King Lear. That’s because while it is set on a grand scale, with kings and earls warring for the fate of their country, it is also a family drama, about a father’s fractured relationship with his daughters.
A reimagined version of this grand story will be staged in Kuala Lumpur today and tomorrow through a collaboration by local theatre groups Nyoba Kan and the KL Shakespeare Players. Old Lear is a multidisciplinary performance combining the characters and themes of Shakespeare with the spirit of play inherent in butoh, the avant garde Japanese dance form.