Actor: Ioanna Kolliopoulou

Ioanna Kolliopoulou in "K": The barking king | The actress talks about 'King Lear's' Cordelia and love

"I can't bring my heart to my lips," is the response given by Cordelia, the youngest daughter of King Lear, when he asks her to publicly confirm her love for him. Flattered by the exaggerated expressions of his two elder daughters and surprised by the way his youngest daughter treats him, he disowns her. The kingdom falls into the hands of his other two daughters.

"Cordelia is guided by a sense of love and justice, which is why she speaks with such sincerity. She doesn't flirt with the idea of power; she's liberated from such needs," explains Ioanna Kolliopoulou, who portrays the brave, young daughter of the complex, elderly ruler of Britain in Shakespeare's play "King Lear," directed by Giannis Houvardas for the National Theatre. "She faces her father's insecurity and manipulative games with understanding rather than vindictiveness. She tries to reason with him, and despite his verbal attacks, she sticks to her own logic. She proposes a new world. It's radical for her time to step forward, bringing a new perspective to things."

What troubles the award-winning actress Melina Mercouri is why Shakespeare, while portraying such a raw and pure character in the story, decides her fate in the end. "Isn't this a powerful symbol? Can this system withstand sincerity? Can this new thing that Cordelia brings cause disruptions, and if so, to what extent?"

"She faces her father's insecurity and manipulative games with understanding rather than vindictiveness."

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Ξένια Γεωργιάδου (2023) Ioanna Kolliopoulou in "K": The barking king. Kathimerini