Okay, this is what I have sitting in my notes. It's not terribly good (to tell you the true, I don't even know if it's RIGHT - I haven't had it marked or anything) but I'll put it up here anyways. Maybe someone would like to tell me what I should add/delete/change completely while I'm here? *bats eyelashes* Anyways, here we go..
Megan Finlay’s Queen Lere is a modern appropriation of King Lear. In Queen Lere, the gender of the main characters has been reversed, which denotes a comment on gender roles. By having a Queen instead of a King shows that woman now have an equal place in society, and whilst it may not portray a particularly favourable view of women, it shows that both sexes are equally capable of malice and of benevolence. The character of Thaisa (originally Edmund) has a distinctly sexual nature, which she uses to gain control of Lere’s sons. This shows the prevailing sexuality in today’s society.
In a feminist reading, two points of view could be considered. Firstly, this play could be considered pro-feminist because of the fact that there is a Queen in charge as the head of the State, and because of the kindness and compassion shown by (female Edgar - don't know her name? Any help?) toward her mother. However, it could also be seen as anti-feminist because of Lere’s inability to see through her son’s manipulations, and also by the way that Thaisa gets ahead by using her powers of sexual provocation.
Queen Lere is also a post-modern interpretation of King Lear, which can be seen in the set design, use of colour and visuals (lighting, screen, costumes). Without taking away from the textual integrity of the play, Queen Lere uses these features in order to make it appropriate for today’s audience. Due to the confusing nature of Shakespearean language, there is more emphasis on the action, actors and dialogue than on the language itself, and ideas are conveyed through other means. The minimalist set design shows that responders focus more on what is happening on the stage than on the set design itself.
During the storm scene, the chaos and disorder that is experienced by Lere is heightened by the use of a screen with video images on it, as well as lighting and sound effects. This is effective in that it allows the responder a greater understanding of what is happening.
The values such as those of honesty, integrity and morality are still displayed in Queen Lere because they are universal values which are still of importance today. These values are conveyed through (male Cordelia, female Edgar - I don't even remember their names...) just as they are through Cordelia and Edgar in the traditional version.
