Ian McKellen on King Lear: Performing Shakespeare

by Ian McKellen, Julian Curry

Ian McKellen discusses playing King Lear, in this ebook taken from Shakespeare On Volume 2 - Twelve Leading Actors on Twelve Key Roles . In each volume of the Shakespeare On Stage series, a leading actor takes us behind the scenes of a landmark Shakespearean production, recreating in detail their memorable performance in a major role. They leads us through the choices they made in rehearsal, and how the character works in performance, shedding new light on some of the most challenging roles in the canon. The result is a series of individual masterclasses that will be invaluable for other actors and directors, as well as students of Shakespeare – and fascinating for audiences of the plays. In this volume, Ian McKellen discusses playing one of Shakespeare's most demanding roles, King Lear, in Trevor Nunn's production for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007. This interview, together with the others in the series (with actors such as Alan Rickman, Simon Russell Beale, Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walter), is also available in the collection Shakespeare On Volume 2 - Twelve Leading Actors on Twelve Key Roles by Julian Curry, with a foreword by Nicholas Hytner.

67 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2017

About the author

Sir Ian Murray McKellen CH CBE is one of the most highly acclaimed actors in the English-speaking world.

His career spans six decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Over his career he has received numerous awards including seven Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also received nominations for two Academy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and four BAFTAs.

McKellen was knighted in the 1991 New Year Honours for services to the performing arts, and made a Companion of Honour for services to drama and to equality in the 2008 New Year Honours

Reviews

[Susie Berta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating resource

Ian McKellen is one of the finest actors of our time. Among his many theatrical achievements, his Shakespearean roles are tour de forces, King Lear being but one. This book is a conversation with McKellen about the play and his role as Lear, his views about the character and all manner of interesting insights and details about the production. I found McKellen fascinating and so helpful in better understanding Shakespeare in general, and Lear in particular.