NOTE: These are the characters in the original text of Shakespeare's King Lear. King Lear Goes Wrong may split/supplement/adjust characters as the cast size requires.

• King Lear – Aging monarch who divides his kingdom among his daughters, only to descend into madness when betrayed by those he trusted most.

• Cordelia – Lear’s youngest daughter, disowned for her honesty but remains loyal and loving to the end.

• Goneril – Lear’s ruthless eldest daughter, who flatters him for power and later turns on him with cold ambition.

• Regan – Lear’s second daughter, equally manipulative and cruel, often competing with Goneril for dominance.

• Gloucester (Earl of Gloucester) – A nobleman whose loyalty to Lear costs him dearly; he’s blinded and betrayed by his illegitimate son.

• Edgar – Gloucester’s legitimate son, forced into hiding and disguise as “Poor Tom” to survive and ultimately restore justice.

• Edmund – Gloucester’s cunning illegitimate son, who schemes his way to power by betraying his father and brother.

• Kent (Earl of Kent) – Lear’s devoted nobleman who disguises himself to continue serving the king after being banished.

• The Fool – Lear’s witty and loyal jester, who speaks truth through riddles and irony, often acting as Lear’s conscience.

• Albany (Duke of Albany) – Goneril’s husband, initially passive but grows into a moral force opposing the cruelty around him.

• Cornwall (Duke of Cornwall) – Regan’s brutal husband, complicit in Gloucester’s torture and driven by ruthless ambition.

• Oswald – Goneril’s steward, loyal to her schemes and often at odds with Kent.

• King of France – Cordelia’s suitor and eventual husband, who values her honesty and supports her return to England.

• Duke of Burgundy – Initially interested in Cordelia, but withdraws when she loses her dowry.

• Curan – A courtier who provides updates on political tensions.

• Old Man – A tenant who helps the blinded Gloucester.

• Doctor – Attends to Lear during his recovery from madness.

• Captain – Sent to execute Cordelia under Edmund’s orders.

• Assorted Servants, Knights, & Courtiers

• 🎭 Act 1

• Scene 1

Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, demanding they publicly declare their love for him. Goneril and Regan flatter him with exaggerated praise, while Cordelia refuses to perform, saying she loves him “according to my bond.” Lear, enraged, disowns her. Kent tries to intervene and is banished. The King of France marries Cordelia, admiring her honesty. Meanwhile, Goneril and Regan privately mock Lear’s judgment, foreshadowing their betrayal.

• Scene 2

Edmund, Gloucester’s illegitimate son, begins his plot to usurp his brother Edgar’s inheritance. He forges a letter suggesting Edgar plans to kill their father. Gloucester, easily deceived, begins to distrust Edgar. Edmund revels in his manipulation, setting the stage for familial collapse.

• Scene 3

Goneril grows impatient with Lear’s disruptive retinue and instructs her servants to treat him with coldness. She begins to assert control over her household, signaling her shift from dutiful daughter to political operator.

• Scene 4

Lear arrives at Goneril’s home and is shocked by the disrespect shown by her servants. Kent, now disguised, returns to serve Lear and is accepted. The Fool begins to mock Lear’s decisions, offering bitter truths through riddles. Lear confronts Goneril, who demands he reduce his retinue. Furious, Lear curses her and leaves to seek Regan, believing she will be more sympathetic.

• Scene 5

Lear sends Kent ahead to Regan. The Fool continues to needle Lear, warning that Regan may be just as cruel. Lear begins to sense the unraveling of his authority and sanity, foreshadowing his descent into madness.

• 🌪️ Act 2

• Scene 1

Edmund escalates his scheme, staging a fight with Edgar to convince Gloucester of Edgar’s treachery. Edgar flees. Regan and Cornwall arrive, aligning themselves with Edmund. Gloucester praises Edmund, deepening the tragic irony.

• Scene 2

Kent insults Oswald and is placed in the stocks by Regan and Cornwall. Lear arrives and is outraged to find his loyal servant humiliated. The scene underscores the erosion of Lear’s dignity and the cruelty of his daughters.

• Scene 3

Edgar, now a fugitive, disguises himself as “Poor Tom,” a mad beggar. He prepares to live in hiding, embracing a new identity that will later serve as a mirror to Lear’s madness.

• Scene 4

Lear arrives at Gloucester’s castle and is denied entry by Regan and Goneril, who unite against him. They strip him of his knights and dignity. Lear, devastated and betrayed, rushes into the storm, his mental state beginning to fracture.

• ⚡ Act 3

• Scene 1

Kent meets a Gentleman and learns that Lear is wandering in the storm with only the Fool. Kent sends a message to Cordelia in France, asking her to help her father. He also reveals political tensions between Albany and Cornwall, hinting at civil unrest.

• Scene 2

Lear rages against the storm, cursing nature and his daughters. The Fool urges him to seek shelter, but Lear refuses, consumed by grief and fury. Kent finds them and leads them to a hovel. Lear’s madness deepens as he begins to empathize with the poor.

• Scene 3

Gloucester confides in Edmund that he plans to help Lear. Edmund immediately betrays him to Cornwall, hoping to gain favor. Gloucester’s trust in Edmund mirrors Lear’s earlier misjudgments.

• Scene 4

Lear, Kent, and the Fool take shelter in a hovel, where they meet “Poor Tom” (Edgar). Lear is struck by Tom’s suffering and begins to reflect on human vulnerability. His empathy marks a turning point in his psychological unraveling.

• Scene 5

Cornwall rewards Edmund by naming him Earl of Gloucester. Edmund’s rise is complete, while Gloucester’s downfall begins. The political and familial order continues to collapse.

• Scene 6

Lear stages a mock trial of his daughters, with the Fool and Edgar as judges. The scene is both tragic and absurd, highlighting Lear’s madness. Gloucester helps them escape, risking his life for the king.

• Scene 7

Gloucester is captured and blinded by Cornwall and Regan. A servant tries to stop them and is killed, but wounds Cornwall fatally. Gloucester’s physical blindness parallels Lear’s metaphorical blindness.

• 🌒 Act 4

• Scene 1

Edgar, still disguised, meets his blinded father. Gloucester laments his misjudgment and wishes to die. Edgar tricks him into surviving, offering hope through deception. The scene explores despair, redemption, and divine justice.

• Scene 2

Goneril and Edmund grow closer. Albany begins to oppose Goneril’s cruelty. News of Cordelia’s landing spreads. Goneril fears Regan may also desire Edmund, setting up a deadly rivalry.

• Scene 3

Kent learns that Cordelia is leading French forces and remains devoted to Lear. Cordelia’s compassion contrasts sharply with her sisters’ ambition.

• Scene 4

Cordelia sends soldiers to find Lear, who is raving in the fields. She consults a doctor, hoping to restore his sanity. She declares that her army fights not for conquest, but for love and justice.

• Scene 5

Regan questions Oswald about Goneril’s relationship with Edmund. She declares her own interest in Edmund and orders Oswald to kill Gloucester if he finds him. The sisters’ alliance fractures completely.

• Scene 6

Edgar tricks Gloucester into believing he survived a fall from a cliff, convincing him to endure his suffering. Lear enters, crowned with weeds, and rants about justice, sexuality, and betrayal. Oswald tries to kill Gloucester but is slain by Edgar, who discovers Goneril’s letter urging Edmund to murder her husband Albany.

• Scene 7

Cordelia is reunited with Lear, who begins to recover his sanity. Lear begs forgiveness, acknowledging his folly. Kent remains in disguise. The scene restores emotional harmony, even as political chaos looms.

• ⚔️ Act 5

• Scene 1

Regan and Goneril vie for Edmund’s affection. Albany joins their forces against the French but remains morally opposed to their cruelty. Edgar gives Albany Goneril’s incriminating letter. Edmund reveals his plan to execute Lear and Cordelia if they are captured.

• Scene 2

Edgar leads Gloucester to safety. The battle occurs offstage. Edgar returns, announcing that Lear and Cordelia have been captured. Gloucester wishes to die, but Edgar urges him to endure.

• Scene 3

Lear and Cordelia are led to prison. Lear imagines a peaceful life with her, unaware of Edmund’s secret order for their execution. Albany confronts Edmund and Goneril. Edgar appears and defeats Edmund in a duel. Regan dies from poison; Goneril kills herself. Edmund, dying, tries to reverse the murder order, but it’s too late. Lear enters with Cordelia’s body and dies of grief. Albany offers Kent and Edgar the throne, but Kent declines. Edgar is left to restore order, mourning the tragic cost.

Here is the working version of the script. It will be adjusted once we have final casting. Some lines will be shortened/reassigned. This is a working document.

Remember- you must sign up using the digital form before attending auditions.

Actors should prepare a monologue from this document. After everyone performs their first monologue, people can try others as time allows.

You will perform much better if you memorize your monologue.

You will also perform much better if you become familiar with the meanings of all the words. No Fear Shakespeare has a good online translation where the Shakespeare is side-by-side with modern language. It's a very helpful tool. Use it.

Shakespeare’s King Lear is a towering tragedy that explores the collapse of order—both familial and political—through the lens of an aging monarch who divides his kingdom among his daughters, only to be betrayed and cast into madness. Written around 1605–1606, during a time of political uncertainty and questions of succession in England, the play reflects deep anxieties about power, legitimacy, and the fragility of human bonds. It’s a brutal meditation on pride, loyalty, and the devastating consequences of misjudgment, where love is tested, cruelty reigns, and redemption comes at a harrowing cost. In its storm-lashed landscapes and fractured relationships, King Lear asks what remains when everything—title, sanity, even language—has been stripped away.

In our KING LEAR Goes Wrong adaptation, we will be balancing between honoring the text and creating utter chaos as we flip back and forth between the world of the play and the world of theater artists putting on a play (and failing miserably). As Lear turns his world upside down with bad choices, we will turn our production upside down with comical mistakes highlighting all the things that could possibly go wrong in a theatrical production.