Miracle Theatre to Present KING LEAR Across Cornwall This Summer

This summer, Cornwall's Miracle Theatre will present Shakespeare's most elemental and passionate play King Lear at fifteen wilderness locations across Cornwall from 13 July - 27 August.

From a remote 'blasted heath' on Bodmin Moor framed by the magnificent horizon of Brown Willy and Rough Tor to the cliff-top below St Agnes Beacon, with the rugged coast and Atlantic ocean as a backdrop, this is King Lear as you've never seen it before. For full venue listings visit www.miracletheatre.co.uk

King Lear is an exquisitely dark tale about a family squabble that grows out of all proportion, blowing up into a storm of deadly force. This fresh and fast-paced adaptation of Shakespeare's text - performed by a cast of five - tells a shocking, yet tender, story of ageing and madness, fuelled by ambition and fired by betrayal. Full of life and wit this brand-new adaptation is pared down to its bare essentials delivering the full impact of Shakespeare's gripping story and spell-binding language in just half the time.

Director Bill Scott Says: "These days we expect an economy in story-telling which would have been disappointing to Elizabethan audiences who liked to while away a long afternoon at the theatre. We want Miracle's adaptation of King Lear to be fast-paced, enthralling entertainment, embedded in glorious locations the length and breadth of Cornwall and enjoyed by grown-ups of all ages and their fearless children!"

Miracle's previous Shakespeare adaptations (Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet and The Tempest) have all been hugely popular with Cornwall's summer audiences who said:

In the title role, Rosie Hughes transcends gender to bring the old king to life and show his unpredictable nature: a fading physical presence occasionally bursting with formidable energy, half mad but completely sane, an angry old man capable of moments of great tenderness.

The ensemble cast also includes Miracle regulars Steve Jacobs (Twelfth Night, Waiting for Godot, Bah Humbug), Charlotte Merriam (Everyman), Cat Lake (The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, The Third Policeman) and new company member, Ian Harris (Rude Mechanicals).

The production is designed by Cornish artist Paul Spooner, whose work has been described as 'eccentrically beautiful and endlessly fascinating' and 'full of wonder and whimsy.'

Shakespeare loved to weave theatrical magic out of tragedy in a way that is never far from farce, making King Lear ripe for Miracle's offbeat treatment! Brave the elements this summer and let Shakespeare's tragic farce surprise you!

Touring to cliff tops, gardens, amphitheatres (and now moorlands) across the South West, since 1979, Miracle's outdoor productions have become a 'must do' activity' with audiences bringing along their own seating and picnics to enjoy an evening's entertainment whatever the weather.

TOUR DATES

13 & 14 JULY CARN MARTH AMPHITHEATRE - REDRUTH

15 & 16 JULY PENLEE PARK - PENZANCE

19 & 20 JULY TRELISSICK GARDEN - TRURO

21- 23 JULY THE BEACON - ST AGNES

26 & 27 JULY BOCONNOC - LOSTWITHIEL

29 JULY POOL GREEN, ST MARTIN'S - ISLES OF SCILLY

30 JULY ST MARY'S CHAPLAINCY - ISLES OF SCILLY

04 & 05 AUGUST THE ISLAND - ST IVES

06 & 07 AUGUST STERTS THEATRE - LISKEARD

09 & 10 AUGUST STOWE BARTON - BUDE

11 - 12 AUGUST BODMIN MOOR - NEAR CAMELFORD

16 & 17 AUGUST NEWQUAY ORCHARD - NEWQUAY

18 - 20 AUGUST TRELOWARREN - HELSTON/LIZARD

23 & 24 AUGUST TREGREHAN GARDENS - ST AUSTELL

25 - 27 AUGUST ENYS GARDENS - PENRYN

Recommended age 12+ | Approx running time: 2 hours plus interval

Press night will be held at NT Trelissick on 19th July. Please request your press review tickets from Becky@bm-pr.co.uk - note tickets are available to other performances by request.

Biographies

Rosie Hughes (Performer)

Rosie has been in numerous Miracle shows since 2003 including Aladdin, Quasimodo, Government Inspector and The Case of The Frightened Lady and has returned to play the leading role of the king in King Lear in 2022.

Charlotte Merriam (Performer)

Charlotte is an actor and writer who graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Stage credits include Miracle's Everyman as well as Macbeth (Manchester Royal Exchange), Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep) and Swansong (Dugout Theatre).

Steve Jacobs (Performer)

Steve Jacobs is an actor, director and teacher based in Penzance. He has worked all over the UK and abroad with a diverse range of companies that vary from the RSC, to running away with No Fit State Circus and touring Brazil with DudenDance.

Catherine Lake (Performer)

Catherine graduated from Central School of Speech and Drama and has been working in the creative sector for over 15 years. She was a founding member of the multilingual physical theatre company 'Bottlefed' and has been part of Miracle's repertory company since 2010.

Ian Harris (Performer)

Ian is an actor, theatre-maker and musician. For the past 25 years theatre work has taken him across the length and breadth of the UK, to the West End and Broadway. King Lear is his first show for Miracle.

Paul Spooner (Designer)

Paul studied at Art and Design at Cardiff, specializing in mechanical sculpture. He later took up the then almost extinct profession of automatist, working out of the shop Cabaret in Falmouth. In 1983 Cabaret became a Mechanical Theatre and between 1985 and 2000 it was located in Covent Garden, London. King Lear is Paul's first show working with Miracle Theatre.

Sachi Kimura (Movement Director)

Sachi is a movement practitioner, movement director and theatre-maker/director. She trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Shiki theatre company (Japan), Ecole de Phillipe Gaulier and Scola Commedia Dell'arte (Italy). Over her 26 year career, she has worked in theatre, films and TV, in the UK, Europe and Japan.

About Miracle

Miracle is an award-winning touring theatre company, based in Cornwall with a reputation for producing, comical, highly entertaining and thought provoking shows suitable for anyone & everyone.

Since 1979 they have been touring to the far-flung corners of the South West. Miracles outdoor productions have become a 'must do' activity and pop up in unexpected and extraordinary, including gardens beaches, castles and clifftops.

In 2016 Miracle Founder and Artistic Director Bill Scott was awarded British Empire Medal in recognition of his services to the arts in Cornwall.

Miracle Theatre is a registered charity No. 1092029 & this production is funded by Arts Council England, Cornwall Council, Garfield Weston, Foyle Foundation, Cultural Recovery Fund and Cornwall Community Foundation.

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