Colin Friels’ King Lear stepped onto the bare square stage, chalk in hand, and drew a perfect circle at its centre. It was a simple gesture, but it set the tone for the play: a world drawn in plain sight, full of rules we recognise but struggle to obey.
That circle becomes one of the most powerful images in Belvoir St Theatre’s The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear & His Three Daughters. It is both a boundary and an invitation, marking out a space where truth, cruelty and madness can take shape.
King Lear has been challenging audiences since its first recorded performance in 1606. Famous Lears have included the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, James Earl Jones and many others. Each has confronted the same impossible task: how to play a king whose downfall exposes the bones of a broken world.
The story follows Lear’s decision to divide his kingdom among his daughters. Goneril and Regan flatter him. Cordelia refuses. Chaos follows. Alliances fracture, storms rise, and the family tears itself apart.
At the same time, the Gloucester subplot unfolds, as Edmund betrays his father – now mother in this production – and brother. By the end, the stage is littered with bodies, and the country lies in ruin.
This three-hour epic interpretation feels immediately alive. The movement in the first act is striking, with characters positioned at the corners of the square stage like pieces in a tense standoff.
The chalk circle is avoided by most characters and crossed only in moments of revelation or rule-breaking. This dynamic created constant visual tension. In both intermissions, I was left thinking about how carefully the ensemble had built physical storytelling into every beat.
Colin Friels delivers a Lear of real weight. He has built up to this role throughout his career, and it is evident in how he gives everything in his performance.
Tom Conroy’s Edgar provides the production with heart, shifting from innocence to clarity. Raj Labade’s Edmund stands apart both physically and musically, accentuated by an electric guitar in contrast to the drum motifs that follow other characters. Alyson Whyte brings dignity and quiet strength to Gloucester, grounding the subplot with honesty.
Charlotte Friels brings sharp, almost-entitled control to Goneril (she’s also Colin’s actual daughter), while Jana Zvedeniuk’s Regan balances charm with malice. Ahunim Abebe offers a clear, steady counterbalance as the third daughter Cordelia, whose calm presence gives the tragedy its emotional anchor.
Peter Carroll’s Fool is one of the most distinctive elements of the night. Accompanied by a modern piano recorder, he dances and sings to give Lear counsel with both humour and sting.
Bob Cousins’ set places focus on the actors, while James Stibilj’s costumes suggest class and hierarchy through jeans, suits and worn boots.
Morgan Moroney’s lighting moves between warm orange and cool blue, shifting the mood with precision. The storm sequence is especially effective, using drop-down lights and pounding drums to create a truly immersive moment.
The violence in Act Two is brutal and convincing, with Nigel Poulton’s fight direction and blood packs used to confronting effect.
The live band, led by co-composers Steve Francis and Arjunan Puveendran, drives intensity throughout, blending Carnatic drumming and singing and sharp electric guitar.
Belvoir St Theatre’s The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear & His Three Daughters is bold, grounded and unafraid of contradiction. It is a tragedy of sound, sweat and chalk dust, and a fierce and unforgettable vision of Shakespeare’s darkest world.
The True History of the Life and Death of King Lear & His Three Daughters runs to 21 December at Belvoir St Theatre. Upstairs Theatre, 25 Belvoir St Surrey Hills NSW 2010.
Tickets: https://my.belvoir.com.au/overview/13845
Website: https://belvoir.com.au/productions/king-lear/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/belvoirst/
Photo credits: Brett Boardman
