At that time, the Dusseldorfer Shauspielhaus was the largest theater in Germany. The front stage was 12 meters deep, with another 10-meter-deep stage behind it that was usually used to get the sets ready for the next scene before moving them to the front. I included that back space as well, which made the stage over twenty meters deep. On this stage, I placed nothing but an enormous throne as a symbol of Lear’s power.

In the opening scene, Lear appears through a small door at the back of the gigantic stage and walks  in a bright spotlight toward the audience until he is directly in front of them. The entire male court wears coats of extremely thick, floor-length felt, creating a block-like image. In the scenes where Lear and the Fool are on the moor, the stage is dominated by a gigantic carcass of a dead horse, against and in which they take shelter from the storm.