King Lear
BBC TWO, 9.30PM
Talk about event TV: After making movie magic in Howards End and The Remains of the Day, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, are reunited in Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, under the direction of Richard Eyre. Plus they have a stellar supporting cast, that includes Jim Broadbent, Emily Watson and Andrew Scott.
Eyre sets this version in a fictional modern-day and moves the action between castles and modern locales, such as a rundown shopping precinct, to keep it contemporary. Hopkins is on great form as Lear – his old king seems to be suffering from dementia from the start, making sense of his rashness in disinheriting youngest daughter Cordelia (Florence Pugh), of him kissing another, Regan (Watson), full on the lips, and of failing to recognise other loved ones. Eyre has cut the play judiciously and brings an interesting take on Lear – that it’s about flawed parenting – that offers some insight into the behaviour of his children. Ultimately, however, it’s about Lear’s tragedy, not theirs, and Hopkins delivers a barnstorming central performance. Having played the role more than 30 years ago at the National Theatre, he’s truly grown into it. Vicki Power