Review by Jo Tomalin
For All Events
Lost Lear
Lost Lear is a weaving of the story of parts of Shakespeare’s play King Lear with the story of Joy, diagnosed with dementia. Written and directed by Dan Colley, this is the UK Premiere produced by the Riverbank Arts Centre and Mermaid Arts Centre presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 at the Traverse Theatre. For anyone unfamiliar with the story of King Lear by Shakespeare, there is a canny summary provided in the dialogue to another character early in the play! This is an intricate mixing of two stories with relatable parallel events.
We watch a stage rehearsal of the play of Lear and his three daughters trying to show their authentic love for their father in order to earn the trust, respect and his legacy when he dies. It’s always an interesting part of the play where the audience may reflect on their own way they may answer this question of an elderly close relative. This start to Lost Lear is fascinating! When the story is turned on its head and Lear is enthusiastically played by a character called Joy, the mother of a long estranged son in a layering of a contemporary parallel family story with the rehearsals of King Lear!
In a poignant twist Joy is in a care home – and the staff discovers the most effective way of relating to her is to run her day to day similar to her prior career as an actor, full steam ahead in rehearsals. While Joy has no daughters she does have a son who is on stage in several scenes.
The acting is strong throughout including:
Joy: Venetia Bowe
Liam: Manus Halligan
Conor: Peter Daly(August 3rd)/Gus McDonagh
Ensemble: Em Ormonde, Clodagh O’Farrell
Bowe as Joy is energetic and dynamic and her voice will surely benefit from the run to develop a range of inflections and vocal variety in the lines. This play within a play is effectively told through storytellng, narration, dialogue and one brief scene with puppetry. Effective set design by Andrew Clancy, lighting design by Suzie Cummins and costume design by Cherie White all work together to create the two worlds in this play.
Lost Lear deals with the situation of a family member with dementia sensitively and in a creative way in this handsome production. Highly recommended! 4 Stars!
Originally from England Jo Tomalin is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is a reviewer for Dance & Theatre at www.ForAllEvents.com and works in the performing arts as a freelance movement specialist, director + actor. She is also a Professor of theatre performance in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University, teaching Movement and Voice for actors, Storytelling and Acting.
Jo Tomalin studied Classical Ballet for 12 years. She graduated from London University’s Laban Centre teaching credential program in Modern Dance, Art of Movement & Choreography, then she trained in Physical Theatre, Masks, and Devised theatre at the renowned professional acting school “Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq” Paris, France. Jo studied Classical Acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London; and holds an A.T.C.L. in Voice and Acting from Trinity College of Dramatic Art, London, and a PH.D. in Education from Capella University, MN, USA.
