"The finest King Lear I have ever seen" - Daily Telegraph

Live from London's internationally acclaimed Donmar Warehouse, the National Theatre Live in HD presents Michael Grandage's production of Shakespeare's "King Lear" starring Derek Jacobi at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts, Thursday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. The Quick Center will broadcast an encore on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $22 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $15 for children and students. There is reserved seating. "King Lear" is an Arts & Minds presentation.

One of Britain's most legendary actors, Jacobi "gives one of the finest performances of his distinguished career," said John Lahr in his New Yorker review of the production. Lahr continues with laudatory words for the director and his vision: "Grandage has a deft Shakespearean touch; his productions - and this is the best to date - are swift, limpid and forensic in their dissection of the text."

An ageing monarch. A kingdom divided. A child's love rejected. As Lear's world descends into chaos, all that he once believed is brought into question. One of the greatest works in western literature, "King Lear"explores the very nature of human existence: love and duty, power and loss, good and evil.

The cast also includes Pippa Bennett-Warner (Cordelia), Gina McKee (Goneril), Justine Mitchell (Regan), Ron Cook (The Fool), Gwilym Lee (Edmund), Paul Jesson (Gloucester) and Alec Newman (Edgar).

When the play opened in London late last year, it received great acclaim:

"One of the most keenly awaited Shakespearean performances of recent times..." - The Guardian (UK)

"Grandage's production ... remakes the idea of what Shakespeare can be" - The Observer

"One of the most remarkable performances of the past decade" - Daily Express

Lahr's New Yorker review has high praise for the strength of Jacobi's interpretation, "When Lear does go mad, he's all the more powerful for not being a roaring loony. Instead of ranting into the storm, Jacobi whispers his words - an affecting demonstration of the mind splitting off and burrowing inward. Lear emerges exhausted from his 'wheel of fire,' but, for both the character and the actor, it's a heroic emotional journey."

Tickets are available at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Special offers and discounts are available through the Quick Center's e-mail list. Join, by contacting boxoffice@quickcenter.com . Become a fan of the Quick Center for the Arts on Facebook and keep up-to-date with the latest performance news, plus special offers and discounts. Find the Quick Center at www.facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter.

National Theatre Live is distributed internationally (ex-UK) by New York-based BY Experience: www.byexperience.net . Global sponsor for National Theatre Live is Aviva, an innovative insurance company with a global presence.

"King Lear" runs 3 hours 15 minutes, including pre-show and intermission.

Coming March 17: Danny Boyle's new production of "Frankenstein," a play by Nick Dear, based on the novel by Mary Shelley. Contains adult themes.

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Photo credit: Johan Persson

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Access to the Quick Center for the Arts is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Special Note: From Oct. 4, 2010 through June 30, 2012, the southern end of North Benson Road (Rt. 135) will be closed to traffic on nights and weekends. Round Hill Road intersects with Barlow and provides access to the Quick Center for the Arts.

Posted On: 01-20-2011 10:01 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 169