Press Release: Female-led physical theatre King Lear premieres at Riverside Studio

[Jan McNulty]

Female-led physical theatre King Lear premieres at Riverside Studios

 

A non-verbal physical theatre interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, by award-winning director Shu-wing Tang and performed by an all-female cast, will receive its UK premiere at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith from Thursday 2 – Sunday 12 May.

 

King Lear wants to divide his worldly possessions between his three daughters, in exchange for their devotion. While Lear’s elder daughters flatter him, he disowns his youngest daughter, who will not lie or exaggerate her love for him. 

 

This production premiered in Hong Kong in 2021 and was performed in Shanghai in 2023. Director Shu-wing Tang won Director of the Year at the International Association of Theatre Critics, and Cecilia Yip won Performer of the Year for her portrayal of King Lear. The show was also Nominated for Best Sound Design (Anthony Yeung) in the Hong Kong Drama Awards.

 

The performances at Riverside Studios mark the production’s UK premiere and the beginning of a tour, with dates in Craiova, Romania; Berlin, Germany; and a return to Hong Kong for the first edition of the International Shakespeare Festival in Hong Kong.

 

Cecilia Yip returns to the role of King Lear for the run at Riverside Studios. A celebrated stage and screen actor in China, Yip has won two Best Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. She is joined in the production by Lindzay Chan, Amanda Leung, Cassandra Tang, Peggy Chow, Ting-Kwan Lau, Ki-yan Ko, Corina Druc and Costinela Ungureanu.

Director Shu-wing Tang said: “If one wants to be free, be free from language first.”

 

King Lear is presented by Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio, in partnership with National Theatre Marin Sorescu Craiova, Romania and sponsored by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. 

 

 

Notes to editors:

 

Previews: Thursday 2 May 7:30pm & 3 May 3pm

Performances: 7 – 11 May 7:30pm and 11 & 12 May 3pm

Studio 2, Riverside Studios W6 9BN

Tickets: www.riversidestudios.co.uk or 0208 237 1010

 

 

Production credits:

Director: Shu-wing Tang

Set and Costume Designer: Hon-wai Yuen

Music Composer: Billy Ng

Sound Designer: Anthony Yeung

Lighting Designer: Tsz-yan Yeung

Cast: Cecilia Yip, Lindzay Chan, Amanda Leung, Cassandra Tang, Peggy Chow, Ting-Kwan Lau, Ki-yan Ko, Corina Druc, Costinela Ungureanu. 

 

King Lear is presented by Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio, in partnership with National Theatre Marin Sorescu Craiova, Romania and sponsored by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. 

 

 

 

About Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio

“To enrich the public’s life through theatre”

 

Founded in 2011 with a former name as No Man’s Land that was registered in 1997, Tang Shu-wing Theatre Studio is a centre for theatrical research and creation. We believe that art is a platform for feeling and expression. The internal transformation within ourselves created by theatre is the most mysterious experience. Our minimalist body aesthetics is not confined by any single theory because the most joyful part of being an artist is to realise when to insist and when to open up. We create our works with specific artistic propositions through exploration of related practice. Until now, we have created 16 productions including Titus Andronicus, Titus Andronicus 2.0, Detention, Thunderstorm, Why Aren’t You Steve Jobs?, Macbeth (later renamed as The Tragedy of Macbeth), Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Scenes from a Marriage, Larger Than Life, King Lear and Bhagavad Gita. As a team, we support each other and purposely develop the younger generation in order to continue our mission. Apart from creation, we are consciously concerned about the next generation as well as the community. In 2014, we initiated our Physical Theatre Youth Training Programme, which has established a brand of theatre training. As a recognition of its contribution and leading role in contemporary arts and culture, the Studio is named an Eminent Arts Group by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2019.

 

 

About Riverside Studios: 

For over 45 years, Riverside Studios has been the centre of an extraordinary mix of new and innovative theatre, film, comedy, art, dance, music and television. A cultural hub that has attracted some of the world’s best creative talent including Samuel Beckett, David Bowie, Benjamin Zephaniah, Amy Winehouse, Yoko Ono, Lenny Henry and Michael Clark. 

Now, in our glorious new building, we are beginning our next creative chapter, driven by a belief in the power of creativity to bring people together, unlock potential and spark positive change in the world. We are ambitious, curious and audacious, we are for our community, our artists and our audiences. We’re brand new, again.