http://www.teatterikesa.fi/in_english/program2/the_main_programme_2009/finnish_guests/anatomia_lear/

Anatomia Lear

Anatomia Lear Working Group Anatomia Lear Idea and Realisation Heidi Fredriksson, Mikaela Hasán, Åsa Nybo, Johanna af Schultén; Directed by Mikaela Hasán A skeletal old man lies in his institutional bed shrunken into a living puppet. Lear is still alive! But for how long? Shakespeare’s King Lear is a drama about aging and madness, a drama about an old man’s strength and power dwindling away, a mind fragmenting and the relationship between a father and his daughters. Anatomia Lear was first performed last fall in the Ateneum Art Museum’s Sanaton Festival for performing arts in Helsinki. The performance tears deep into the inner being of Lear - indeed, in all senses of the word - as channelled through puppets, live actors, an intricate audio world and masterful visualisation. The performance revolves around the themes of hunger for control, loneliness and yearning for forgiveness. The spectrum of emotions extends from profound understanding to almost grotesque humour. “Sometimes death is preceded by a sudden insight and the light caress of reconciliation”, the Anatomia Lear Working Group reflects. Such fine adult puppet theatre without words is a rare find in Finland. ■ Cast: Åsa Nybo Johanna af Schultén Heidi Fredriksson