1 performer · 60 minutes
Lear: A Solo Adaptation
One actor, one cloak
Synopsis
In the final moments of Lear’s life, memory, delusion, fury, and grief collapse into one another as he relives the choices that destroyed his family and kingdom. A single performer and a tattered cloak embody Shakespeare’s entire tragic world.
At a glance
What a producer needs firstCast
1 performer
Running time
60 minutes
Genre
Solo adaptation
Technical demand
Minimal
Availability
In the collectionLicensed through Upstage Left Press
Characters
1 performer to cast
Lear
An old king in the final flickering moments of life, moving through memory, hallucination, rage, regret, and grief.
Staging and technical requirementsMinimal
One actor, one tattered cloak, and a basic performance space. No conventional scene or costume changes occur. Lighting and sound may enhance atmosphere, but the central theatrical object is the cloak, which becomes kingdom, burden, shelter, memory, and Cordelia.
What you will need
- A company of 1 performer
- A slot of 60 minutes
- Technical capacity described as minimal
- A performance licence, granted separately from the script
Themes
What it is really aboutI write plays to entertain in the truest sense of the word: to give serious attention to people, questions, and histories that are too often pushed aside.Jeanmarie Simpson, artist statement
In the classroom
A complete Shakespeare tragedy delivered in a single hour by one actor. Ideal for advanced solo performance study, for auditions, and for a touring programme with no technical budget.
From the archive
Select any photograph to enlarge
Performance rights
Stage it
Rights are available for universities, schools, community theatres, festivals, workshops, staged readings, and independent productions.
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