When Melbourne Theatre Company announced the line up for their 2012 season last year, one production stood out amongst the slate of theatrical offerings. Queen Lear is an experimental play that takes stock from the Bard classic…and adds a little gender reversal. Rachel McDonald will direct this interpretation, and thespian Robyn Nevin will take on the starring role. There’s no need for any plot synopsis here, but expect to be bowled over by one of the most emotionally intense tragedies ever written.
MTC is kindly offering two Dumbo Feather readers double passes to the 8pm performance of Queen Lear on the 9th of July. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments section below, what your favourite King Lear scene is and why, as well as your full contact details*.
Entries close on Wednesday 4 July, 2012.
MTC’s production of Queen Lear will run from the 7th of July to the 18th of August.
*If you would prefer not to leave your contact details in the comments section, email them to katie@dumbofeather.com
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you all for the lovely entries!
Comments
Chris Wenn 27 Jun 11:11AM
Act IV, Scene 4
CORDELIA: Alack, 'tis he! Why, he was met even now
Mad as the vex'd sea; singing aloud.
Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With burdocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn. A century send forth.
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye.
What can man’s wisdom
In the restoring his bereavèd sense?
He that helps him take all my outward worth.
--
For that speech. At it's heart is a simple list of wildflowers, but in 11 lines it conjures a whole world - the green fields, a mad king, his daughter's loyalty and compassion, and the terrible war that drew them here.
It's a bit cheeky to write my post with Shakespeare's words, but I hope you understand why!
Chloe Walker 28 Jun 9:21PM
"Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
His way to Dover." - Regan, Act 3, Scene 7
I love it for the eye gouging and for the middle sibling getting super nasty.
Played with impeccable malice by Amanda Redman in the Royal National Theatre production (also known as 'the one with Ian Holm').
Nicole Smith 02 Jul 12:55PM
Any scene with Lear's Fool really. You know he's the wisest of the lot from the first act...
FOOL:
Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest,
Ride more than thou goest,
Learn more than thou trowest,
Set less than thou throwest;
Leave thy drink and thy whore,
And keep in-a-door,
And thou shall have more
Than two tens to a score.
T Hasted 02 Jul 11:15PM
Act 1, Scene 4. For including my Mum's favourite line, which she used frequently in mock outrage:
"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child!"
Andi Snelling 04 Jul 8:48AM
The scene where I open my e-mail to discover I have won the two tickets and I phone my boyfriend to tell him he is about to have his first experience of seeing Shakespeare performed live!