King Lear

Synopsis: Video recording of the Belarus Free Theatre’s staging of King Lear as part of the Globe to Globe season. Directed by Vladimir Shcherban with Aleh Sidorchik as Lear. Spoken in Belarusian.
Language: Belarusian
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Recording date: May 2012

Theatre: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Theatre company: Belarus Free Theatre
Production type: Stage Recordings
Historical period: Contemporary
Plays: King Lear
Subjects: Drama
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Complete Works; Globe to Globe season; World Shakespeare Festival 2012

General: "Our journey began with the censorship of independent theatre in Belarus. Our members lost their jobs in Belarus state theatres as a result of their affiliation with Belarus Free Theatre, which was set up to represent freedom of expression through our work, and uncensored theatre became effectively banned in Belarus. Performances take place in secret venues in Minsk with audiences alerted to their existence by text message or e-mail. Audiences bring their passports to performances in Belarus in fear of arrest. Every member of our company has, at one time, suffered forms of intimidation and harassment and some of us have been arrested and tortured as a result of our work. We will always perform; it isn’t what we do, it is simply who we are". [From the Company’ campaign to raise money for the visit to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’].
History: The production was staged 17 & 18 May 2012.
Reviews: Andrew Dickson (The Guardian, 23 May 2012).

... Like a post-Soviet Oedipal X-Factor, the Belarus Free Theatre on Friday night gave one of the greatest productions of King Lear London has ever seen. Forget our local Lears, with naked theatrical knights and casts in emotional straitjackets: this was as cruel, as beautiful, as you could want. It shook the Globe from the yard to the rafters... [Josh Spero: http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/globe-globe-king-lear-shakespeares-globe (accessed 6/2012).

Aleh Sidorchik	Lear
Hanna Slatvinskaya	Cordelia
Pavel Garadnitski	Earl of Gloucester
Pavel Arakelian	Fool
Siarhei Kvachonak	Edgar, later disguised as Tom o’Bedlam
Aliaksei Naronovich	Edmund
Aliaksei Naronovich	King of France
Dzianis Tarasenka	Earl of Kent
Maryna Yurevich	Regan
Yana Rusakevich	Goneril
Yuliva Shauchuk	Oswald

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