‘Bowen has written something that stands remarkably well on its own and that would also easily lend itself to other staging ideas’
How much loyalty do we owe to those with whom we have shared pain? And is letting go of the wrongs done to us by our parents a vital part of growing up? Or is retribution, rather than forgetfulness, the only option offered to us that does not lead to betrayal, of one’s fellow victims and of oneself?
I Hate King Lear (or What Breeds About Her Heart) manages to explore these questions deeply without ever imposing answers on its audience. Showing at the Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse on 22 and 23 August as part of a collaboration between the Camden Fringe and Shakefest, this original play is written and directed by its lead actor, Emily Bowden. They play Pheobe (or Shakespeare’s Regan, whom they declare they literally are), a teen at the precipice of an internal choice that is sure to define the rest of their life. Opposite them, Alexane Roger plays their older sister Heather (or Goneril), a mostly tacit character who bears their tumultuous upbringing with far less panache, and far more hatred. For a while, the sisters coped by escaping into worlds of their own, and turning suffering into games. But as time went on, their childish tools were rendered obsolete, and Phoebe is all too aware that in the play that is literally her life, Goneril ultimately kills her sister Regan.
Most of this familial tragedy is told through Bowden’s recounting, straight to the audience. But it never feels like mere narration. As they singlehandedly tell us this story through long, tireless monologues, the child this character once was appears vividly and seamlessly before our eyes: bubbly, angry, moved from an early age by an almost manic drive towards a better life, a life that is fun. Yet the very energy and spirit on display are our biggest indications that they were doomed to a childhood filled with guilt. Few around them, much less their sister, were able to match their vitality, so that they were always faced with the terrible urge to leave her behind.
This effect would not work as well as it does without its counterpart, Roger’s Heather/Goneril. A dramatic contrast to Bowden’s lead, her near-silent performance effectively does for the audience what the character does to her family. There is an intensity to her silence that means that for every line pronounced by her talkative sister, our eyes are drawn to Heather’s face, in order to dissect the slightest change in expression. We can’t help but stare into those sad eyes in an attempt to see how Heather is taking her sister’s words, to find a counterpoint to the one-sided tale or even, perhaps, to guess at some other unmentioned familial horrors, only bourn by the silent, passive sister. Reflecting the character she plays, Roger dominates the stage by saying nothing, loudly.
With technical support from Gaby Puertolas and Marta Ester Martin, the set design is minimal, the staging is simple yet poignant: a family dinner table, a worn-out copy of our Shakespearean framing device, a crown with which to act out the father’s domineering tirades and a cord tying the sisters together. The lighting is somewhat harsh, with no pretense of making this story of abuse and betrayal especially pleasing to the eye. All of this works very well, partly because its simplicity allows the primary idea (two actors, one quiet, one effervescently talkative) to carry the show. Bowen has written something that stands remarkably well on its own and that would also easily lend itself to other staging ideas without losing its core original premise.
I Hate King Lear will have its last Camden Fringe showing on 23 August. Thankfully, theatregoers can catch it again as soon as Autumn of this year, with a performance on 14 October 2026 at the Lambeth Fringe.
Review Date: 22nd August 2026
Star Rating: FOUR