When I heard about Pip Utton’s one-person King Lear at the Prague Fringe, now heading to Edinburgh Fringe, I was intrigued!
“King Lear is mad. Very, very, mad. Mad at the weather, mad at his daughters, mad at everyone and everything. But his biggest problem is that he really is mad! And angry.
Who would have thought that dividing your kingdom between three daughters, based on how much they love him, would have caused so many problems?
It has all gone horribly wrong, and at Lear’s age he could do without the hassle. So, he is really pissed off!”
Where: Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard
When: 14-24 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/king-lear
A one-man Lear in an hour! How on earth did this come about?
I specialise in solo shows and so it was an exercise in seeing what was really necessary in Lear’s tale to keep in and what I could leave out.
King Lear has within it several themes and stories, many of which happen around Lear and not to Lear.
Sibling rivalry, greed, loyalty, a love triangle, disguise, deceit, sacrifice and war all have their place in the full version.
But I realised that, with a little script jiggling, Lear’s story could be told by himself.
Why do you think Shakespeare still has the power to make us sit up and take notice?
The issues addressed by Shakespeare’s work are universal and relevant today because they explore the human condition, which is eternal. Love, relationships and the need to explore our place in the world.
The world has of course changed beyond recognition since these plays were written and will continue to do so.
The style of performance will evolve, but many of the moral and amoral problems we all variously face living in this world remain the same.
How did you start as a performer? Do Fringe festivals inspire you?
I first performed at Edinburgh Fringe in 1992 and I became hooked. The second year gained me my first professional booking and I have built on that to what I do full time today.
Without EdFringe I would not be enjoying the life of a strolling player to the extent that I do.
Fringe festivals around the world provide a much needed stage for experiment and development for both new and established creators.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
Meeting the many old friends and making new friends who will be encouraging each other in our creative journeys.
What’s next for you and Lear?
Next will be the culmination of a TV project I have been involved in in NL, performances of At Home with Will Shakespeare in Milan and Catania in October and then a break over the winter.
A solo version of Cyrano will premiere next March in the Netherlands and there will be other touring of my stuff (I hope).
Lear will leave Edinburgh having benefited from a run of performances in front of the wonderful, supportive Fringe audiences, reviewers and producers, to whom I will always be grateful.