The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters has landed at the Belvoir with a titular nod to an earlier anonymous play or possibly Andrew Dominik’s film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, with the elongated title giving a truer insight into the text of Shakespeare’s 1606 work.
Directed by Belvoir’s Eamon Flack with a cast of 13, this parred back production lets the audience concentrate the characters and the tale’s many flips in events and motivation across the three hours and 15 minutes with two intervals.
Much has been made of Colin Friels’ return to the Sydney stage, and as Lear he doesn’t not disappoint as he takes his character through the enormous arc from a narcissistic ruler with three daughters as his heirs, through to his descent into madness and its tragic ending.
Underlying Shakespeare’s text is a thread of misogyny that sees all the female characters dead by the end, while Lear’s own death is from a broken heart as he finally realises his love for his youngest daughter Cordelia (Ahunim Abebe).
Friels brings to the role with an intensity in his delivery as he traverses his character’s descent into madness that engulfs all around him, rarely flagging over this long production in a role that must be a career highlight.
He is ably supported by one of stage and screens greats, Alison Whyte as the Countess of Gloucester and Tom Conroy as Edgar, Lear’s true and loyal son who later assumes the role of Poor Tom, a beggar in disguise to escape his half brother Edmund’s (Raj Labade) men.
The only counsel for Lear comes from Fool (Peter Carroll) whose position allows him to speak the truth, even if in riddles and what seems at times to be nonsense.
The storm scene featuring Lear, Fool and Poor Tom ramps this production up a notch as all elements of acting ability and production design combine to bring is one of theatre’s most intense and memorable ten minutes.
If only the rest of then cast matched these moments and roles, though in their defence the writing is not always there for them, and even Carroll’s Fool has moments of cliche and lack of vocal projection.
Entrances and exits are often conducted at pace, which over the length of this production brings a sense of sameness about it that robs it of tension and expectation.
On the night live music from Jess Green (guitar) and Arjunan Puveendran (hand drum and percussion) added another dimension if at times incongruous, such as when the introduction of Indian-style flourishes take over.
Bob Cousin’s set is as bare as the Belvoir can get, simple black walls, and a slightly raised wooden stage with a line chairs against one wall.
At the centre of the stage Lear draws a circle representing the void into which he will disappear and is also the world into which people are admitted or banished from.
Modern day everyman costumes by James Stibilj compliment the minimalistic setting while making it easy to identify and keep track of the many characters, while Morgan Moroney’s mainly white lighting works well.
Special mention should go to fight director Nigel Poulton who has worked seamlessly with the actors to being authenticity to the fight scenes.
This is not an easy production and Flack and the cast should be commended for bringing a tension to the many twists and turns of treachery and deaths in this play, while emphasising its truths that have an importance in modern times.
The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear & His Three Daughters
Upstairs Theatre – Belvoir St Theatre, Belvoir Street, Surry Hills
Performance: Friday 21 November 2025
Season continues to 4 January 2026
Information and Bookings: www.belvoir.com.au
Images: Colin Friels and Peter Carroll – photo by Brett Boardman | Tom Conroy and Colin Friels – photo by Brett Boardman | Tom Conroy and Alison Whyte – photo by Brett Boardman
Review: John Moyle