Continuing our video capsule reviews for King Lear…
In 1953, as part of the television series Omnibus, Peter Brook staged a very heavily edited version of King Lear with Orson Welles in the title role. How heavily edited, you might ask. How about 80 minutes long? 73 if you remove the introduction by Alistair Cooke. That’s way under half the length of most versions (like the Blessed version).
How does he accomplish this? By completely eliminating the Edgar/Edmund subplot. Impossible, some will say. Sacrilege, others will cry.
Continue reading “King Lear video capsule review: 1953, directed by Peter Brook [Orson Welles]”