King Lear Revival
Approximately two hours, no intermission
King Lear - 2024 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
The Shed
West 30th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues New York, NY
Kenneth Branagh plays the title role in a new production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, set in the barbarous landscape of Ancient Britain. Featuring a cast of rising stars from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art directed by Branagh, this production releases the play’s power and turmoil in a fast-paced staging.
In playing Lear, Branagh completes a trifecta of great Shakespearean tragic roles, complementing past appearances as Hamlet in his Academy Award–nominated film version of the play (1996) and on stage as Macbeth in a celebrated immersive production (2014). This strictly limited, exclusive US engagement of King Lear runs for 50 performances only.
King Lear - 2024 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR King Lear
A Hasty KING LEAR at The Shed - Review
2 / 10
In this production, directed by a tripartite directing team (Rob Ashford, Lucy Skilbeck, and Kenneth Branagah, one of our great contemporary Shakespeareans, who also stars as Lear), it’s a brisk unspooling. Having shaved the text down to a 2-hour running time with no intermission, the breakneck pacing doesn’t give the audience a chance to absorb the gravity of the drama or recognize the mounting stakes. One scene bleeds right into the next, which levels the play’s biggest moments.
Review: Kenneth Branagh’s ‘King Lear’ Howls Into A Stormy, Rushed Muddle
2 / 10
Shakespeare never lacks for juicy insults, and King Lear is especially thick with verbal abuse. The unhinged title monarch viciously curses his daughter Goneril with rot in her ovaries and there’s a comically long string of invective the disguised Kent heaps upon villainous servant Oswald in front of Gloucester’s castle. In the trimmed version now running at The Shed I particularly miss one put-down—again, between Kent and Oswald. “Thou whoreson zed!” Kent sneers. “Thou unnecessary letter!” Gone from this sped-through, two-hour cut. But what would you expect? This is an unnecessary Lear.
Category
by A.A. Cristi - November 14, 2024
Acclaimed actor Kenneth Branagh steps into the formidable shoes of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, in a new production at The Shed NYC. Read the reviews for this new production of one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 10, 2024
Kenneth Branagh plays the title role in a new production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, set in the barbarous landscape of Ancient Britain. Check out rehearsal photos of the show preparing for The Shed's Griffin Theater!
King Lear History
Other Productions of King Lear
| 1754 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1905 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1906 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1907 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1907 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1907 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1909 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1911 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1915 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1917 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1918 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1923 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1930 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1930 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1947 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1950 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1962 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1968 | Broadway |
Broadway |
| 1973 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1978 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1982 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1990 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1996 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2004 | Broadway |
Lincoln Center Revival Broadway |
| 2006 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2007 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2011 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater Production Off-Broadway |
| 2014 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2014 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Off-Broadway |
| 2016 | West End |
Old Vic Revival Production West End |
| 2018 | West End |
Chichester Festival Theatre West End Revival West End |
| 2019 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 2023 | West End |
West End |
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 2026 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
King Lear - 2024 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Fight Choreography | Bret Yount |
Videos