Review by Danielle LaRose
Mothers in Shakespeare are rarely mentioned and almost never seen, but Queen Lear is Dead is a brilliant reclamation of one such mother’s legacy of love. As guests at this “celebration of life”, we follow the three Lear sisters and witness a service that threatens to tear the family apart. Jessy Ardern’s exquisitely insightful script sets Shakespeare’s sisters before us in flesh and blood, each of them complex, contemporary, and utterly real. The conspicuous absence of their father and the lingering presence of their mother is heart rending, and especially so for those who know the devastation to come in King Lear. Raw and intimate performances guided by Valerie Planche’s graceful direction make this prequel experience too beautiful for words, and is this reviewer’s Pick of the Fringe.
Queen Lear is Dead plays at Venue 46, Strahtcona Baptist Church. Tickets and info at the box office or online.
Read these and other Fringe reviews in The Beer Tent Reviews, printed and distributed on the Fringe grounds and at participating venues. Check out @BeerTentReviews!
Alberta Theatre Guide 