“King Lear” and the purpose of tragedy in dark times
Sir Kenneth Branagh’s bold new production asks you to laugh, cry—and act
Murder on the television, agony on the radio; lies and hatred on the internet, plus snuff videos that you click on before realising your mistake. The planet is a boiling cauldron in which you are the complacent frog. When the real world feels like a charnel house, why spend an evening and a chunk of cash watching bodies pile up on stage?
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “This great stage of fools”
Culture November 4th 2023
- A golden age of TV is losing its shine
- A show on Manet and Degas examines creative rivalry
- Inside the secretive startup selling facial-recognition software
- “King Lear” and the purpose of tragedy in dark times
- Hong Kong’s year of protest now feels like a mirage
- A new Beatles track is surprisingly soulful
From the November 4th 2023 edition
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