Revision Questions for King Lear

Note: When answering the following question you will want to find and provide physical examples from the production. A physical example is when you describe, with specificity, what is happening on stage at the time. Get down to specific detail, for example, explaining how the actor/ performer is standing or moving, how far away from the audience they are, what is happening with technology, where exactly they are in space, etc. The more detail, the better!

DRAMA TECHNIQUES: BODY, VOICE, MOVEMENT AND SPACE:

• Describe how an actor who you found interesting or compelling used drama techniques in moments of direct address (lines directed at the audience).

• Describe how two actors used ‘asides’ during a moment of tension - how did they communicate that they were not directly within the main scene? How did they connect with the audience to reveal information?

• Discuss how an actor use drama techniques during a soliloquy. What were they aiming to communicate? What did you understand at that moment?

• Explain another actor’s use of drama techniques and how they created a sense of authenticity within the performance.

• Choose specific moments where you felt the actor used their body, voice, movement and space in combination to create impact, focus or to support an important idea.

• Discuss why you think authenticity is important in a contemporary production of Shakespeare’s work?

• Thinking about King Lear’s daughters:

• How did they use techniques to create contrast between them?

• How did Goneril and Regan create contrast when interacting with their father and when their true intentions are revealed in private?

• How did this contrast with the way the actor portrayed Cordelia?

• How did an actor use drama techniques to communicate subtext in their performance? Use a specific moment and example to discuss this use of subtext.

• Discuss what you found compelling about an actor’s use of drama techniques in the performance. Choose a specific moment to focus on.

CHARACTER:

• Discuss King Lear and his fatal flaw; how is this communicated by Michael Hurst? Plot his descent into madness and describe how he uses techniques to communicate this.

• Discuss the purpose of the character Kent:

• What impact do they have on the narrative, as well as the audience and actors' relationship?

• How does the actor's use of techniques communicate their purpose in the performance?

• What impact does Kent being played by a female have on their relationship with King Lear?

• What was the purpose of the Fool in the play? Why are they integral to a Shakespearean tragedy?

• Explore the sisters: what purpose do Goneril, Regan and Cordelia serve in the narrative?

• What was the purpose of each of the characters in the play? Construct notes for each character in the performance around the following bullet points:

• Actor’s use of drama techniques to communicate the character

• What did you understand about the characters and the story?

• How they challenged you as an audience member

• How subtext was used in a specific moment to communicate an important idea.

DIRECTOR/DESIGNER CONCEPT:

• Discuss how balance was created on the stage in ensemble scenes? How does this link to the original acting style of Elizabethan theatre? What did you understand about the power of each character by their placement on the stage.

• Discuss the purpose of the performance and how the themes or ideas link to what is happening in the world; socially, politically or historically. Link your ideas to specific moments or examples from the performance.

• How did the way the performance was realised in a contemporary setting impact the style of delivery of the narrative/story?

• What features of the Elizabethan theatre form can you identify?

• How does the use of this theatre form challenge and serve the audience?

• Discuss how the director brought the story to life using Drama Components - Elements, Conventions, Techniques and Technologies.

• What do you think Michael Hurst is asking you to think about in the way he has directed King Lear?

• How did the stark staging choices affect you as an audience member?

• What was the impact of the way the design, directorial and acting choices worked together? Choose a moment that surprised, shocked or excited you to talk about.

• Discuss why the use of strong sound and lighting design was integral to this performance?

DRAMA CONVENTIONS - STRATEGIES ESTABLISHED TO MAKE MEANING AND CONNECT TO WIDER CONTEXT:

(NB - make sure you are familiar with what the established Drama Conventions are by discussing this with your teacher)

DRAMA ELEMENTS AND HOW THEY DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO THEMES, MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS:

• What were the main themes, questions and ideas evident in the performance? Link these themes, questions and ideas to specific moments or examples from the performance.

• Identify a moment in the performance where Drama Conventions were used to create focus, mood or atmosphere:

• Explain how the convention or combination of conventions were used in the performance

• Discuss the impact of the use of the convention or combination of conventions in this moment

• Discuss how meaning was created for you, as an audience member, in this moment

• Discuss how the use of a convention or combination of conventions in a specific moment helped you think about the big ideas and themes of the play.

• What was the wider context (socially, historically, politically or geographically) that this moment linked to?

• How were design and directorial elements (props, setting, AV, costuming, audience positioning and interaction) and the Drama Elements used to build the performance? How did this make you feel as a member of the audience?

• Identify recurring symbols or motifs throughout the performance. Explain why they were important in helping you understand ideas being communicated in King Lear?

• Discuss how subtext was highlighted through the way Michael Hurst created focus, mood and tension in his directing choices.

• How do these themes, symbols or ideas link to the wider world of the play and what impact does this have on the audience?

• Were there moments where the content was confronting or forced you to think about something in a new light? What impact does this have on the audience and you as a member of the audience?

• How is this performance connected to Aotearoa/New Zealand? What can you link the themes or ideas to?