Interview: Lindsay Campbell on playing Regan in LEAR at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

This July brings the Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s premiere of Lear, Finn den Hertog’s bold new adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, starring Scottish theatre legend Maureen Beattie as the monarch and Lindsey Campbell as her daughter Regan. We spoke to Campbell to find out more about this exciting new production.

What makes this reimagining of Shakespeare's classic tragedy so exciting?‍ ‍‍ ‍

The team involved in this reimagining of Lear is what excites me. I’ve worked with Maureen before so I knew she’d make a thrilling Lear, and she is - just you wait. I’d seen Finn’s work and was eager to be in one of his productions and experience his process firsthand. This reimagining feels beautifully streamlined and clear and the way Finn is playing with the world of Lear in the second half feels fresh, surprising and fun to be a part of. The rest of the cast are equally genius and I’m loving watching their talents come alive in these characters. We also have use of some incredible music by Brìghde Chaimbeul which I can’t wait to hear fill the auditorium and introduce people to.

How does making Lear a woman change the world of the play?

I’m most intrigued to hear how having a female Lear affects the audience! We are so used to Lear being a father, I wonder if certain lines will ping out differently this time with Lear being a mother? Women can have a way of knowing or seeing each other that can feel exposing and dangerous almost. I hope that we can bring out these further layers in this already incredibly rich play. But yes.. Mothers and daughters! Maybe we expect them to be less ruthless with each other because they are female? Or maybe the psychological games are more clever and unavoidable because they are women? It struck me today that because Lear, Kent and The Fool are all played by women it does create a strong matriarchal world, and the male characters rarely get a chance to speak plainly or out against the women- which isn’t something we often see.

What drew you to the character of Regan?

In this version Regan’s husband the Duke of Cornwall has been cut and she absorbs his lines and actions. Cornwall’s violence and behaviours now sits within Regan and this has offered me the chance to think about her being a driving force rather than someone who acts alongside another. That feels more complex and unsettling to explore. At the moment we are playing with the idea that she is rather detached from the family and someone who knows how to manipulate her mother to keep her happy, but until now has kept a distance from them all… and it’s only when she finds herself one sister away from taking the Crown that a dark ambition and hunger for power takes over. All this makes me drawn to her, and of course, there’s the eye gouging.

What are the most challenging aspects of performing a Shakespeare work?

We all know that Shakespeare can be challenging due to the language, yet I would argue that it’s the speed of thought that takes time to master when performing it. The thoughts have to be delivered in real time, on the line, that’s when I feel it really sing. I guess people’s perception of Shakespeare can be a challenge, to make people feel involved in it and want to see it. I think making it accessible is really important, so even if someone doesn’t fully understand what is being said, they should understand the feeling of what is going on.

What does a typical performance day look like?

A performance day for me can change on what type of show or character it is. I also have two young kids so it can sometimes feel like I’ve already done a full day’s work before getting to the theatre! So a dream performance day for me would start with a long lie-in, followed by a swim and a big lunch. Then I’d head to the theatre with plenty of time to have a good chat with everyone before warm ups and fight calls. Then I’ll have a cup of tea, put some music on and get into costume. I like having a good laugh off stage, and I’m always up for a wee post show blether.

Lear runs at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 4 July - 1 August, with further info here.