Lear's Daughters

By The Women's Theatre Group

Directed by: Carole Hughes

On the surface Lear's daughters portrays a series of events in the daughters' lives leading up to their behaviour in 'King Lear'.

Dig a little deeper however and you are looking at a timeless examination of the effects of child abuse. Each of the daughters is, in her own way, a victim of her father's behaviour - but which is the greater victim?

Cordelia, the youngest and apparently favourite daughter, is obliged to remain forever Daddy's little girl and is left trying to make an unemotional, logical choice between pleasing her father and pleasing herself.

Regan, the middle daughter, desperately seeking to be a person in her own right, sexually abused and emotionally damaged but determined to carve out her own destiny.

Goneril, seduced by promises of power and riches, but now watching those promises fade leaving her with nothing but her hatred for the father who still controls her life until she is, as she puts it: "Lear's daughter! Red in my eyes and lost to heaven".

Very much an ensemble piece, all of the cast worked together to bring out the best in each other and each discovered different aspects of their respective characters.