Event

King Lear

KING LEAR

By William Shakespeare

Source Material's staging of King Lear is a transgressive collage of devised material around Shakespeare's original text. Devoid of the title character, Source Material's King Lear leaves the cast of characters to navigate the tumultuous world in which the abuse of power reigns supreme. This production blurs the line between narrative and non-narrative, classical and original, in a highly visual meditation on the consequences of patriarchy, transfiguring that which is familiar into an elemental dreamscape.

About Source Material:

Source Material is an evolving nomadic group of artists carrying diverse backgrounds and lineages in artistic practice. Founded in 2014 by Artistic Director Samantha Shay, Source Material began as a container for her desire to broaden the aesthetic horizons of performance. Ranging from classical to devised theatre, from ancient vocal traditions to contemporary electronic music, Source Material is an ever-evolving constellation of adventurous and thoughtful creators from many corners of the world.

Source Materials theatre work is anchored in reverence for the classical canon, often adapting literature based performances with highly original staging. The work has been described as visually stunning, musically driven, physical, ritualistic, and interdisciplinary. From composers developing their craft in the lively Icelandic music scene, to the more classical training of England and the US, all the way to Eastern Europe, the company reflects a wide range of aesthetic diversity, and revels in the space between transgressive staging of classical works, generating new material of uncharted territory.

The company is based between the US (New York and Los Angeles) and Iceland (Reykjavik).