KING LEAR. Director Gulnara Galavinskaya

The tragedy King Lear was written in 1605, when Shakespeare’s genius reached its full maturity and he gave his best efforts to tragedy. The legend of King Lear and his daughters dates back to the old times, probably to the times of ancient Britain. According to the legend, the story took place in the IXth century BC.

Throughout his whole life, Lear had been building up his own almightiness. It seemed that he had reached the top of it. However, by dividing the kingdom between his daughters, abdicating of his throne, he unintentionally ruined everything he had built so far. Lear’s desire to become a man who possesses the greatest power of all – the power of personal superiority – failed. Superiority turned out to be a miserable illusion.

When Lear discovered what the world really looked like, he went mad. In his madness, he evaluates all the previous life experience and starts thinking of others. The one who has been the pillar of injustice now dispraises it. Lear becomes the protector of the poor, of the victims of power and cruel and unjust law.

Even true greatness does not have any right to ignore sufferings of those who are miserable, ill-provided and disadvantaged. Lear comes to this conclusion teaching himself a lesson.

The production was awarded regional theatrical “Zerkalo Stseny” prize in four nominations: “The Best Large-Scale Production”, “The Best Director”, “The Best Actor”, “Jury’s Special Award” (for the role of Fool).

The cast: Alexander Zaitsev (Lear, the king of Britain), Nadezhda Krotkova (Goneril), Anna Dyomochkina (Regan), Marina Myasnikova (Cordelia), Oleg Pichurin (Earl of Kent), Yuri Borisov (Earl of Glocester), Andrey Blazhilin (Fool) and others.