“Colley’s Lost Lear is a theatrical tour de force that bravely visits painful places to tenderly illuminate them”
—The Arts Review
Lost Lear by Dan Colley is a moving and darkly comic remix of Shakespeare’s King Lear, told through the perspective of Joy, a person living with dementia who finds herself inside an old memory of rehearsing the play.
Her delicately maintained reality is disrupted by the arrival of her estranged son, cast as Cordelia, who must find a way to speak his truth within the confines of the role he’s been given.
Blending puppetry, projection, and live video effects, the performance places the audience inside Joy’s shifting world, where layers of past and present, fiction and memory, continuously fold into one another. A poignant meditation on theatre, illusion, and the limits—and possibilities—of connection, Lost Lear invites us to consider how we communicate across distance, memory, and time.
Event Details
Digital program book: click here to access- Runtime: approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, with no intermission
- Content Warning: this performance contains some strobe lighting effects
- Additional information: visit our FAQ page
- Late seating policy: limited late seating available
Ticket & Discount Information
Tickets available starting at $25. Student tickets always $11. Eligible for CLE Credit.
Discount Information
We offer several discounts for CPA series performances only. Partner and rental events are not eligible.
Important Notes:
- Discounts must be applied at the time of purchase and cannot be added retroactively.
- Only one discount can be used per order.
- We reserve the right to cancel tickets that do not follow these guidelines
Available Discounts:
Military & First Responders
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- How to redeem: Use promo code SERVICE2526 online or call our box office
Seniors (65+)
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required: Yes
- How to redeem: Use promo code SENIOR2526 online or call our box office
UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty & Staff
- Discount: 25% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC One Card)
- How to redeem:
- Current faculty/staff: Use promo code UNCFS2526
- Retired faculty/staff: Use promo code UNCRET2526
UNC Health Staff
- Discount: 25% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per person, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Health ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCFS2526 online or call our box office
UNC-Chapel Hill Students
- Discount: $11 tickets (Zones 3, 4, and 5)
- Limit: 2 tickets per student, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Student ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCST2526 online and select price type “UNC Student,” or call our box office
Non-UNC Students (K-College, Statewide)
- Discount: $11 tickets (Zones 3, 4, and 5)
- Limit: 2 tickets per student, per performance
- ID Required at Entry: Yes (UNC Student ID)
- How to redeem: Use promo code UNCST2526 online and select price type “UNC Student,” or call our box office
Carolina Alumni Members
- Discount: 15% off
- Limit: 4 tickets per order
- How to redeem: Use promo code GAA2526 online or call our box office
Watch our video on applying discount codes when checking out!
Visit our FAQ page for more details.
Why We’re Presenting This
At Carolina Performing Arts, we’re drawn to works that expand and enrich our experience of empathy. Lost Lear not only reimagines Shakespeare with bold creative vision—it also resonates with urgent, real-world themes that touch many in our campus and local communities. In bringing audiences into Joy’s fragmented but expressive world, we’re offered a moving reflection on what it means to be seen, remembered, and understood.
About the Production
“…brilliantly conceived and executed”
—The Examiner
Supported by Culture Ireland and produced by Riverbank Arts Centre and Mermaid Arts Centre, Lost Lear is a striking work from acclaimed Irish writer and director Dan Colley, known for creating theatre that is visually rich, formally inventive, and grounded in collaborative process. With a focus on devised ensemble work and tactile, image-driven storytelling, Colley’s productions often explore the boundary between perception and reality—inviting audiences into layered worlds where memory, imagination, and emotion collide.
Hailed as “a theatrical tour de force” (The Arts Review), Lost Lear has earned five-star reviews and multiple nominations at the Irish Times Theatre Awards, including Best New Play and Audience Choice.
To learn more about Lost Lear, please visit dancolley.com/theatre/lostlear.
Go further
Want to explore the layered world of Lost Lear and the ideas behind its creation? Start here.
Learn:
Lost Lear: Joy, Shakespeare and the painful mystery of dementia: Gain a deeper understanding of Dan Colley’s inspiration behind Lost Lear.
Listen:
Theatre-maker Dan Colley on ‘Lost Lear’: Hear directly from the director as he reflects on the artistic choices, collaborative process, and emotional depth of the production.
Want to see more performances?
Check out the full lineup for the 2025-2026 CPA Season, and discover more incredible shows!