The National Theater Live King Lear, presented on February 3 from London's Donmar Theater, which I saw on February 3 was apparently not live after all. It was a tape delay version rather (and of course If I'd thought about it for a moment it would've been obvious - a 7 pm start here would've meant a midnight one in London), because apparently there was a technical difficulty that resulted in a hold-up of seven minutes, of which we, in Montreal, were unaware. Finding out about it only increased my admiration for the splendid cast - they certainly didn't let it throw them off. Among the many terrific performances, one that stands out in my memory was Ashley Zhangazha as the King of France. It's a small part (he only appears in the first scene), but a very important one thematically, and the young actor delivered his lines with great power (Zhangazha also doubled in the role of the captain who is given the directive to hang Cordelia by Edmund in the final scene - which created an interesting juxtaposition). In fact, one of the character's statements not only strikes one of the central chords in the complex symphony of themes that make up the play, but is to me one of the most profound moments in all of Shakespeare. It comes as a consequence of his discovering that Cordelia, having offended Lear through a perceived slight in not answering his question in concert with her older sisters, has fallen in Lear's estimation from the heights to the depths in a matter of moments. The Duke of Burgundy, Cordelia's other suitor, is equally astonished by the developments, and the King of France asks him the following (and the middle sentence is the one that I was referring to above):

My Lord of Burgundy,

What say you to the lady? Love's not love

When it is mingled with regards that stands

Aloof from th'entire point. Will you have her?

She is herself a dowry.