Perm Theater Creates Fool's Guide to Surviving King Lear

This summer, the Perm Youth Theater began publishing humorous survival instructions set in the worlds of literary works. Today the theater shared a «Survival Guide for the Fool in Lear»s Kingdom,« inspired by William Shakespeare»s famous play King Lear (16+). Its plot was also incorporated into the production Family Values (16+). Here«s what it contains.

A guide is a step-by-step manual or set of instructions.

The fool«s survival guide contains seven rules in total. As a reminder, the narrative in King Lear is told from the Fool»s perspective.

Rule No. 1: «Your cap is not an accessory — it»s a license for sarcasm«

The authors advise: when King Lear asks his three daughters to measure their love for him in square kilometers, there«s no need to shout that he»s lost his mind.

«Your job is to wrap the truth in a riddle, sing a song about a cuckoo, or quip about a fool who gave away his title to the one who gave it to him. Speak in verse — that way they think it»s just nursery rhymes, not a diagnosis,« the Youth Theater recommends.

Rule No. 2: «Your main superpower is sarcasm and sandpaper»

The court jester is the only one who knows that King Lear«s world is a puppet show, the guide»s authors remind us. If Lear starts lecturing, tell him he«s beautifully polished. If Edmund is scheming, you can hint that »with schemes like that, the wood beetles will eat him soon.«

«The fool has a license for the truth because everyone thinks he»s just a squeaky toy in the closet,« the guide»s authors say.

Rule No. 3: «Don»t argue with a stuck record (or with Goneril)«

Cordelia, in response to her father«s request to measure her love for him, says she will say nothing. He is enraged, and the kingdom crumbles.

«And Goneril and Regan (Lear»s two other daughters — Ed. note) are already packing their suitcases to send their father to a retirement home and cut down his retinue. Don«t try to lecture them,» the guide says. «They»re toxic as radioactive waste. If Goneril starts complaining that her father and his hundred knights drink ale too loudly, just nod, joke about a gray beard, and slowly edge toward the door.«

Rule No. 4: «A storm on the heath is not a metaphor — it»s a real weather front«

When Lear goes mad and walks out at night to shout at lightning, you need to remember that «thunder is not the wrath of heaven, it»s just really bad weather.« During the raging elements, the fool»s instructions say, it«s better to fear catching pneumonia.

«Your job is to scurry alongside, hold the cloak that he»ll throw off anyway, and toss in philosophical metaphors about wet socks and the injustice of the universe right on cue,« the authors advise.

Rule No. 5: «Beware the »ophthalmologists« from Cornwall»

When the Duke of Cornwall and Regan decide that Count Gloucester «needs to see the world differently» and start gouging out his eyes, don«t stand in the front row. Otherwise you might get splattered with blood, and it »doesn«t wash out of a fool»s costume very well.«

«Hide behind the wings and compose a rhyming epitaph,» the guide recommends.

Rule No. 6: «Meeting poor Tom: don»t call an exorcist«

If during the storm the fool meets a naked guy smeared in mud claiming to be poor Tom and possessed by legions of demons, there«s no need to panic — it»s Edgar «just doing art-house and hiding from the law.» King Lear will decide this is a great ancient philosopher contemplating the essence of being. The fool«s task is to agree with Lear and not offer Tom his clothes, because he »prefers the «wild vagrant» style anyway.«

Rule No. 7: «Disappear before Act V. Most important!»

In King Lear, the fool mysteriously vanishes in Act III, and this is not a «script bug» or Shakespeare«s forgetfulness, but a »golden ticket to freedom,« the guide»s authors assure.

«As soon as Act V begins, where everyone will tragically die, poison themselves, and hang themselves, quietly unclip your bells, climb into an ale barrel, and pretend you»re a piece of scenery. Let the tragedians sort out their English spleen themselves,« the fool»s instructions say.

This summer, the Youth Theater staged a production based on a novel by Sergei Lukyanenko. We attended a meeting between the writer and Perm residents.