Shakespeare's 'King Lear' gets the Japanese butoh treatment

Dai Matsuoka (right) and Lim Soon Heng working on a scene from 'Old Lear'. Photo: KL Shakespeare Players

When it comes to the tragedies of William Shakespeare, the most heartfelt and poignant one has probably got to be King Lear. That’s because while it is set on a grand scale, with kings and earls warring for the fate of their country, it is also a family drama, about a father’s fractured relationship with his daughters.

A reimagined version of this grand story will be staged in Kuala Lumpur today and tomorrow through a collaboration by local theatre groups Nyoba Kan and the KL Shakespeare Players. Old Lear is a multidisciplinary performance combining the characters and themes of Shakespeare with the spirit of play inherent in butoh, the avant garde Japanese dance form.