King Lear bust

First, the production of King Lear in the London National Theatre Live in HD series is just first rate. Jacobi is incredible, the pace is urgent throughout, this is Shakespeare that races forward with its narrative. But it's also a play best watched after doing some homework, and the HD format here is not as user-friendly as the Met's and the host doesn't even provide a quick summary of plot and characters, so you're on your own, in my case relying on an imperfect memory. But here's the rub. The seats were so uncomfortable that both H and I had serious back pain by intermission -- so we bagged it. Yes, we left at intermission, even though I loved it, although I wish I had done my homework first. Came home and rushed to the pain medicine. Tonight I'll do something much more mindless, like watch the Oscars.