Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli directs Edward Bond's 'Lear' at Teatro India in Rome

Edward Bond's 1970 play 'Lear', a rewriting of Shakespeare's tragedy, is staged at Teatro India in Rome as part of the 'Confini' project by lacasadargilla. Directed by Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli, the production features Elio De Capitani as Lear, an autocrat who builds a wall to defend against enemies but is eventually killed while striking it with a pickaxe. Bond's version focuses on political repercussions rather than family dynamics, with violence as a central theme: Bodice is suffocated, Lear is blinded. The set includes suspended doors, partial houses, and pipes creating a claustrophobic skeleton of a palace. Sound functions as a character, whispering obsessive refrains. Eight actors portray thirty-five characters. Natoli also edited a volume on the tragedy published by Minimum Fax. The play resonates with contemporary fears of walls and terror, serving as a warning about cyclical power and violence.