Considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written, King Lear invades the Philippine cinema through the CCP National Theater Live special screening on April 30, 2024, at 6:00 pm, at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1.
Set in modern Britain, the play centers on two aging fathers – one is a King, and the other, is his courtier. Rejecting the children who truly love them, their blindness unleashes tragic events, filled with pitiless ambitions and treacherous schemes. As the scenes unfold, the family and state are plunged into bitter ends.
Sir Ian McKellen, famously known as Gandalf in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy and as Magneto in the X-Men film series, has received recognition for his notable performance as the tragic monarch in the contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving, and shocking play.
Directed by Jonathan Munby, the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production received five-star reviews for its sell-out run, and transfers to the West End for a limited season.
The CCP National Theater Live partners with the National Theater in London. The film program aims to make British theater accessible to Philippine audiences with special screenings that give that “live” theater experience.
First launched in 2009, the National Theater Live is a groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theater live from the London stages to cinemas across the United Kingdom, around the world, and now in the Philippines.
For its pilot season, the CCP National Theatre Live features nine world-class stage plays, filmed live in high definition from its London stages and other venues. The screenings come with behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and creative teams for better appreciation.
Tickets are priced at Php 250 (regular) and Php 150 (student). Discounts are given to senior citizens for non-Makati residents and PWDs upon presentation of valid IDs. All senior citizens with Makati resident IDs shall be allowed free entry as mandated by local government regulations. Tickets are available at Ayala Malls Cinemas ticket booths and website (www.sureseats.com).
For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest updates.
