Glenda makes a stage return playing Shakespeare’s King Lear – but what have critics been making of Deborah Warner’s  production? 

The Guardian: **** “Jackson’s performance catches perfectly the zigzag patterns of Lear’s mix of insight and insanity.”

The Telegraph: **** “Some of those flourishes – including the lobbing of one of Gloucester’s eyeballs out into the audience – land in the zone of gimmickry, and the show is perhaps a little too pleased with itself. But having allowed Glenda to score such a blinder, who can blame it?”

The Stage: **** “Lear is a remarkable act of stamina, memory and emotional reserves for any actor. It becomes, in Jackson’s initially ferocious and ultimately desperately vulnerable presence, a tour de force.”

Daily Mail: *** “thanks to its magnetic star this show is undeniably theatrical.”

The Arts Desk: “Often dwarfed by those around her she is, nevertheless, every inch a king”

The Times: *** “There’s no point in going if you want to stay in your comfort zone.”

Theatre Cat: *** “It could have been one of the great Lears, and its star certainly is. But not the frame she shines in.”

Time Out: *** “I wonder if Jackson’s performance really gains anything from Warner’s production, but fair play to her for pairing with an interesting director for this comeback.”

WhatsOnStage: **** “There is a much to marvel at if you can maintain your focus.”

Live Theatre UK: *** “Melling and Gavan show that the future for great classical acting is not as grim as might otherwise be thought given the limitations of this production.”

King Lear continues to play at the Old Vic until the 3rd December. To book tickets visit: Ticketmaster.co.uk , Discount Theatre.com, Last Minute.com, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk , Love Theatre.com, Theatre People.com and UK Tickets.co.uk.