Photos: First Look at KING LEAR at Riverside Studios

A non-verbal physical theatre interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, by award-winning director Shu-wing Tang and performed by an all-female cast, is receiving its UK premiere at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith from Thursday 2 – Sunday 12 May.

Check out production photos below!

King Lear wants to divide his worldly possessions between his three daughters, in exchange for their devotion. While Lear’s elder daughters flatter him, he disowns his youngest daughter, who will not lie or exaggerate her love for him. 

This production premiered in Hong Kong in 2021 and was performed in Shanghai in 2023. Director Shu-wing Tang won Director of the Year at the International Association of Theatre Critics, and Cecilia Yip won Performer of the Year for her portrayal of King Lear. The show was also Nominated for Best Sound Design (Anthony Yeung) in the Hong Kong Drama Awards.

The performances at Riverside Studios mark the production’s UK premiere and the beginning of a tour, with dates in Craiova, Romania; Berlin, Germany; and a return to Hong Kong for the first edition of the International Shakespeare Festival in Hong Kong.

Cecilia Yip returns to the role of King Lear for the run at Riverside Studios. A celebrated stage and screen actor in China, Yip has won two Best Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. She is joined in the production by Lindzay Chan, Amanda Leung, Cassandra Tang, Peggy Chow, Ting-Kwan Lau, Ki-yan Ko, Corina Druc and Costinela Ungureanu.

Director Shu-wing Tang said: “If one wants to be free, be free from language first.”

King Lear is presented by Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio, in partnership with National Theatre Marin Sorescu Craiova, Romania and sponsored by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. 

Photo Credit: Tik Hang Cedric Yip

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