THERE is a lot of madness in Shakespeare's King Lear.

First we have the king himself, truly mad for much of the play.

Then Edgar, feigning madness to escape his persecutors.

Gloucester is certainly not clear in his thinking for allowing such flimsy evidence to turn him against his beloved son.

And then there's Lear's two daughters, Gonerill and Regan, mad with jealousy, power and lust.

It's a recipe for disaster. Which can so often be the case with Shakespeare's mightiest of tragedies. At Chichester this summer, however, Lear is a triumph.

Daughter against father, wife against husband, father against son, brother against brother, army against army. The bloody, screaming saga unfolds in excruciating pain and pleasure.

David Warner as Lear is superbly whimsical and mischievous as he dances his way towards the eventual destruction of all who he holds dear.

A towering performance, even when the king has his back to the audience, as director Steven Pimlott so often dictates, his presence holds court.

Only Jo Stone-Fewings as Edgar comes close to stealing his crown in this performance. His 'Poor Tom', racked with naked apparent madness, is spellbinding.

Stephen Noonan plays the treacherous Edmond as more modern and worldly wise in comparison to other roles. At times this does jar.

Designer Alison Chitty has created a stark set for this bleak play, leaving the players themselves to dictate the scenes. This works beautifully.

Shakespeare created in King Lear a play with few likeable characters.

Even kind Cordelia comes across as gullible; persecuted Edgar as almost cowardly.

And yet his characters, who spoke volumes of human weakness and courage in their day, come down through the centuries to us and remain recognisable.

Even Lear, the poor, vain, cruel, mad king, deserves our pity by the final act.

Which is partly why the king receives the greatest cheer at curtain call for this tour de force.

King Lear runs until September 10.

IAN MURRAY