EDINBURGH 2023: LEAR ALONE Q&A

BWW catches up with actor Edmund Dehn to chat about bringing Lear Alone to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Lear Alone.

‘Lear Alone’ is a one-man version of Shakespeare’s play, using just Lear’s lines from the first Folio – four hundred years old this year. I have always loved this play – and this part. Lear starts the play as an all-powerful, foolish King and he loses everything. But even at his great age, “Four score and upward” as he says, he can still learn. He ends his life powerless but wise – or wiser. He is reconciled to the daughter he rejected in the first scene and is then doubly heart-broken when he loses her a second time and – spoiler! – dies himself. He dies a wiser, but a more heart-broken man. Only Shakespeare could write such a perfect, terrible story: life is beautiful and utterly unfair. The unfairness is what makes it so beautiful and therefore he – and I – wouldn’t want it any other way.
 

What was the inspiration behind it?

We produced it in partnership with the charity, Crisis. We want to help them draw attention to the great numbers of older people experiencing homelessness. Shakespeare’s play works perfectly for this: if a King can become homeless, it could happen to anyone. But in addition to this, “Lear Alone” started life as a web series. We first conceived of it in the early days of lockdown, when all the theatres in the country were closed and no one knew for how long. We vowed that, when the theatres re-opened, we would revive this piece as a stage play. “Lear Alone” was one way we kept our hope alive – I’m sure we all had our own ways! And the hope that exists, despite the tragedy, at the end of the play parallels the hope we held onto in lockdown and the hope that we share with Crisis that there can someday be an end to homelessness.
 

How was the show developed and who was involved in the creative process?

Well the show started as a web series. We wanted to do King Lear as a one man show – perverse?! Possibly! We began with the first Folio cue script for the part of Lear in Shakespeare’s play, which I obtained from the wonderful people at Friendly Folio, especially Patrick Tucker. The show was initially developed by the three members of And Tomorrow Theatre Company, Sarah Lawrie, Anthony Shrubsall and myself. We next recruited Charles Teton, as cameraman, DOP and editor. He ended up being in charge of sound as well and did a fabulous job. His eye for a shot was very special. When we shot, we obeyed the Covid rules for numbers of people meeting out of doors: we never had more than four on any shoot day, including the actor. We then recruited Zelida Gordon as composer and, once the show evolved into its current, live stage version, also Chuma Emembolu for lighting design, Male Arcucci as adviser on costume and Akos Lustyik to create our soundscape. It is interesting to note that, partly due to the lack of back projection capability at our Edinburgh venue, the stage show had to be pretty much re-imagined from scratch. This turned out to be very good for us. Finally we have to give a special shout out to Jake Murray and Elysium Theatre Company for all their support and to two people who have been essential to the development of And Tomorrow TC: Luke Rogers, in charge of the website and Steve Sterlacchini, our poster, logo and design King!
 

Who would you like to come and see it?

Well as many people as possible, of course! But seriously, I would love it if we could convert a few doubters to the surpassing beauty of Shakespeare’s writing. He is the greatest playwright that has ever lived and I believe that this is his greatest play. When I started in the business – a nine-month Rep season at the Byre Theatre St Andrews – every Rep season included at least one Shakespeare. We did two that year so every school child was within an hour’s coach ride of a full, professional production of a Shakespeare at least once a year. This was SO much better than reading it at your desk with, inevitably, some class members who just didn’t get it for various reasons. Now, live Shakespeare is rare in provincial theatres: they just can’t afford to do it. We need to enthuse the younger actors and get them to campaign for Shakespeare’s future in our country’s artistic life. If a one-man version of one of his plays can help enthuse even a few even a little, I will count my time well spent.
 

What message would you like audience members to take away from it?

Dare to dream and believe that your dream can come true. Even if it comes true in a way that you weren’t expecting when you started, it’s better than just giving up. And it may be that the way your dream evolves will turn out to be an improvement! “It’s better to have loved and lost . . .”! Well I think so anyway.
 

Lear Alone is at The Space Triplex, Studio, 4 - 19 August 2023 (not 13), 15.05 (15.55). For tickets go to https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lear-alone

Photo credit: Sarah Lawrie

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