Poor Kenneth Branagh. His West End production of King Lear has been savaged by critics – including the Observer’s Susannah Clapp – as an emotionally stilted, insubstantial affair. Branagh is, of course, a trained Shakespearean actor, although he hasn’t performed on stage in eight years. His luxuriant bouffant – making him possibly the most follicularly blessed Lear since Laurence Olivier – is all Hollywood, as is the surprising third-act revelation that this Lear comes with abs.
I’m being a little unkind. But perhaps theatre audiences could do with a bit more unkindness, particularly when it comes to A-listers. While several good-looking stars got their start treading the boards, more than a few have entered stage right and left it coming off as total planks. (There’s a reason you’ve probably never heard about Ricky Martin’s stint in Evita.)
