King Lear in Brooklyn

by Michael Pennington

What is King Lear really thinking of? What does his mysterious Fool dream about? What are the secret reasons for his daughters’ revenge on their father? What really lies behind the most famous lines in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy?

Michael Pennington’s performance as Lear in New York in 2014 was considered to be the equal of those of Paul Scofield and John Gielgud. This book - part memoir, part analysis, part adventure story - lights up the familiar text and the unique production he led. Funny, candid and deeply illuminating, both honest and scholarly, King Lear In Brooklyn is the work of one of our finest actor-writers at the top of his form.

Genres: Nonfiction

248 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2016

Reviews

[Livlaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the actors' interpretations of their characters and the choices made in the production and what it takes to stage a play. I especially enjoyed when Pennington directly engages with the source material and considers the characters' headspace. However, some topics were sometimes quite randomly inserted without introduction and then unceremoniously moved on from which gave me whiplash.

[Martha Greenough · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Michael Pennington's books on Shakespeare are superb, but this may be the best of all.