Kean - TNT

Nineteenth century actor Edmund Kean apparently had audiences queueing round the block to see him on stage. Sadly, after a critical mauling (of the play rather than the performances), this updated revival of Sartre's adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1836 original won't do the same for Antony Sher.This is doubly poignant as the play begins with Kean performing an extract from Richard III, a role in which Sher himself packed the Barbican to bursting point over 20 years ago. Sartre provides a tempting opportunity for a leading actor to reveal his virtuoso technique, but his analysis of the role of the performer in relation to the real world lacks originality, and the focus on Kean's love life is tedious. Sher gives his impressive all, switching accents, postures and disguises with lightning speed, but it's not enough to invigorate this Pirandellian piece — nor to fill a 21st century West End theatre.
Apollo Shaftesbury Ave, W1, 0870-890 1101. Until August 18