Viewers praise the BBC's "mesmerising" King Lear adaptation

Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, Jim Broadbent, Tobias Menzies, Christopher Eccleston and Andrew Scott: the BBC’s adaptation of King Lear certainly wasn’t short of A-list stars. Yet could this collection of performers do justice to the Shakespeare classic?

In a word: absolutely. Viewers were quick to praise the magnificent cast as they told the story of 80-year-old Lear, a ruler of Britain who sought to divide up his kingdom between his daughters – a division that led to a collapse into chaos, madness and warfare.

• Where is BBC’s King Lear filmed?
• King Lear: meet the cast and characters of the BBC drama
• RadioTimes.com newsletter: get the latest TV and entertainment news direct to your inbox

In particular, Hopkins, who played the titular troubled ruler, was singled out as a “master artist” and “mesmerising”.

Plus, Thompson, who starred as the power-hungry Goneril, gave an “unforgettable” performance, according to viewers.

Director Richard Eyre was also praised for delivering a spectacularly cinematic version of the play to screen.

And even though some struggled with the Shakespearean language...

...Most declared the show one of the best Shakespeare adaptations they've seen.