"Better thou hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better," Anthony Hopkins gravely declares in this first teaser trailer for the BBC's new adaptation of King Lear.

Ad

In this two-hour modern retelling of the Shakespeare play, the ageing ruler divides his kingdom among his daughters Goneril (Emma Thompson), Regan (Emily Watson) and Cordelia (Florence Pugh) according to their affection for him – or at least, that's his plan.

Unexpectedly, as we see in this clip, Cordelia refuses to flatter her father and is cruelly banished.

The Shakespeare play is adapted by Bafta and Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre, with an all-star cast including Tobias Menzies, Jim Carter, Christopher Eccleston, Jim Broadbent and Andrew Scott.

Ad

King Lear will air on Monday 28th May at 9.30pm on BBC2


Sign up for the free RadioTimes.com newsletter


Authors

Eleanor Bley GriffithsDrama Editor, RadioTimes.com

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More