Maureen Beattie to play Lear in Finn den Hertog’s new adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy
Maureen Beattie to play Lear in Finn den Hertog’s new stage adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy
Early July is set to see the première of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s production of Lear, Finn den Hertog’s new adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, featuring Scottish theatre legend Maureen Beattie in the towering role of the monarch whose decision to test her daughters’ love unravels both family and kingdom.
Directed by Finn den Hertog, (The Fifth Step, National Theatre Scotland / Neal Street / Playful Productions and Sunset Song, Dundee Rep Theatre), Lear will run at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 4 July – 1 August.
Lear is a visceral exploration of power, legacy and family, brought to the stage by some of Scotland’s most celebrated theatre artists.
Leading Lear’s excellent cast will be the Scottish stage icon, Maureen Beattie. Over her illustrious career Maureen Beattie has appeared on stage with, amongst others, the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, Young Vic, Royal Court, and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Her acting credits include on stage in Escaped Alone and What If If Only (Royal Exchange Theatre), Yerma (Old Vic), As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company) and My Fair Lady (London Coliseum) as well as on screen in Deadwater Fell (Channel 4) and Outlander (Starz).
Joining Maureen Beattie in the cast will be Forbes Masson (The High Life – The Musical, National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres; Much Ado About Nothing, Jamie Lloyd Productions and the television series Only Child, The Crown and Eastenders) as Gloucester. Further casting will be announced in the coming weeks.
Under the direction of Finn den Hertog, the creative team includes Designer Emma Bailey (Six The Musical, West End and Broadway), Lighting Designer Kai Fischer (Life is a Dream, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh); Movement Director Vicki Manderson (Wild Rose, Royal Lyceum Theatre), Composer and Sound Designer Mark Melville (The Fifth Step, National Theatre of Scotland) featuring the music of Brìghde Chaimbeul; Fight and Intimacy Director Robin Helier (A Streetcar Named Desire, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and Voice Coach Jean Sangster (Medea, National Theatre of Scotland). The production’s casting is by Simone Pereira Hind CDG and Anna Dawson CDG for PHD Casting.
Actor Maureen Beattie said:
“I was absolutely thrilled when Alan asked me to come to Pitlochry to play Lear. I am humbled and grateful in equal measure to be entrusted with this great role in what many people believe is not just Shakespeare’s greatest play, but one of the greatest works of literature ever written. No pressure! I cannot wait to get into the rehearsal room with our brilliant director, Finn den Hertog, and bring this fabulous play to life.”
Director Finn den Hertog added:
“Maureen Beattie is an actor I have known and admired for a long time and in many ways, this feels like the part she was born to play. Her combination of power and fragility, her command of Shakespeare’s text and her towering presence on stage all make her the ideal fit for the tragic monarch.
In reimagining Lear as a woman, we have also reimagined the world of Shakespeare’s play: we find ourselves in a contemporary world of fiercely ambitious women battling for ultimate power; yet all the same time, we are never far from the mythic, ancient landscape that is so richly drawn in the original. Our Lear is an aging matriarch; a mother losing her grip on her reality and her family. They, and in turn we, are confronted with questions of how any family deals with the ultimate tragedy of age, illness and loss of identity.
I am also thrilled to be working once again with designer Emma Bailey, with whom I created Sunset Song in 2024. I truly cannot wait for Emma’s incredible theatrical imagination to be unleashed on this project, along with what is shaping up to be an outstanding cast and creative team. I’m confident audiences at Pitlochry are in for something really special.”
This will be the first time that Pitlochry Festival Theatre will have staged Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy in this its 75th anniversary year and the inaugural season of Alan Cumming as Artistic Director.
Lear runs at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 4 July – 1 August. For tickets and further information visit pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com.
