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REVIEW | King Lear, Sheffield Crucible
- Harry Brogan
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
AD | Tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review. All views are our own
As the nights draw in, summer approaches the end and autumn arrives, audience members of all ages are welcomed into the iconic Crucible Theatre as Sheffield Theatres opens up its 2026/27 season with a darkly sparse yet visually captivating drama of William Shakespeare's King Lear, one of two Shakespeare classics to be seen on the Crucible stage over the coming month.
Following King Lear in his last remaining years of life, he passes duties to his three daughters, while asking them to prove their love to him, with varying responses from them, we see love turn to treachery uncovering and stripping all from the former king.
Truth be told, I've never seen a Shakespeare play before (if you don't count &Juliet, West Side Story) then behold I am now not a Shakespeare virgin. Like for many Shakespeare was one of those at GCSE that was a struggle, for me I was more english language than literature, and for my first 'official' Shakespearian outing, it offered a certain amount level of concentration.
Directed by Titas Halder, and movement, fight and intimacy by Yarit Dor. While audiences spilled out singing and dancing from The Lyceum Theatre after sitting through a rather reduced runner after seeing SIX the musical, King Lear is a heavy and deeply intense play which involves locking in for the next 2 hours and 55 minutes (no that not how long the review is I promise), an extra hour plus longer than the loveable musical.
Shakespeare is one I had avoided for many years, thinking all were wordy, tiresome and inattentive. Which wordy, yes. Shakespearian language has gotten a great complexity to it than the modern day writing, though it certainly proves everyone wrong as it can still draw people in the modern day. King Lear a darkly, cold and brutally tense piece that has prolonged scenes during act 1 resulting in a shuffling pace, and unfortunately, to me a coldish tone, though pleasingly picks up in pace during its second act delivering on more gritty dialogue, and flavoured tone, offering a more engaging act for me. The piece is rooted with intense monologues, and as expected incredibly wordy dialogue, however surprisingly, King Lear provides an unexpected bursts of witty and dark humour ensuring comic relief that can cut through the lengthy and sometimes eyebrow raising heaviness of the writing - which to me did help the lack of familiarity with the piece from the get go. With potent complex and quirky characters, and intriguing plots, King Lear is savagely intricate, and for me, blurry at times. Meanwhile, Shakespeare’s changeless way of language proves time and time again likeable by many, proven once more by the silenced auditorium.
Directed by Titas Halder, Halder's work treats an iconic thrust stage of the Crucible well, not only does Halder work with the configuration, Halder minimises the playing space into just the centre, directing the piece tightly mainly in (but sometimes around) a sunken hole in the Crucible stage. The reduced space which confines the cast into a small space, creates hyper tension and deep focus for the audience, as well as creating a more uncomfortable sitting at times - specially in the fighting sequences which although brilliantly executed, some felt too restrictive within the circle space and was needing more breathing space. Halder's direction is small and compact which really helped ground the show, honing in more on the characters, even during the slightly more energised parts from Yarit Dor are still directed tightly within the small space.
Yarit Dor's movement and fight scenes supply a nice flair to the show, Dor's flowing freestyle movement for the character of Fool, brings a likeable animated style to the character, helping a contrasting and juxtaposed delivery, it's something to be enjoyed for sure.
Star Wars star, Ian McDiarmid is one of two starry castings in Sheffield’s double bill, McDiarmid leads the cast as titular role of King Lear before Gavin and Stacy star Matthew Horne for Twelfth Night from October.
McDiarmid takes on the role with might, McDiarmid’s performance comes across with frantic, frail and intense characterisation, along with good layering in performance throughout, with combining power and wit together. McDiarmid delivers a cleanly clear performance, without a struggle to be heard.
Max Revell, plays Fool, Revell, slickly and swiftly moves around the circle performing Yarit Dor's movement , Revell's performance adds slight playful energy and is skilled, Revell is amusing and is pleasing performer throughout.
Ryan Day's lighting, is deep, stark and hard, and an ensuring reminder of the themes of the show, appealing with a combination of harsh warm and pure white lights, helping with the gore and tapping into the material and building an atmospheric feel all round. Richard Kent's set design from the off is simplistic, this is one show in the Crucible that I've seen that certainly has a lighting and set design that goes hand in hand, surrounded by what is mud or astroturf (which you did get a whiff of) Kent designs the show with an easily appreciated sunken bowl like circle in the centre - where majority of the action takes place. The plain design keeps static and thoughtful with no moving elements and is a simple proof of 'less is more'.
Overall, Shakespeare is one we can all agree is at time love it or hate it, and after years of dodging, maybe King Lear carried a little bit more weight to start with to fully appreciate, needless to say, that does not mean that I didn't appreciate the performances, because I did. Though King Lear is a tough watch for me a first-timer, meanwhile the effort in its design and direction delivers something likeable. King Lear is a decent and respected hard hitting dramatic.
★★★.5
King Lear plays at the Sheffield Crucible until Saturday 19th of September:
