In a school hall, with no stage lighting and a minimal set, the weight of bringing the story to life rests with the actors. First out, Nkhanise Phiri as the Fool did a great job of engaging the children. With her youthful antics, her teddy bear and her message board, she built a sense of excitement. The meaning was loud and clear: live theatre is dynamic and exciting. It can also be thought-provoking. Phiri’s warm-up was followed by the entry of the full cast. Their drums, trombone and general mayhem conveyed a sense of the chaos that lay ahead.

Justine Themen’s production doesn’t shirk from the brutality of the play – the gouging out of the Earl of Gloucester’s eyes, the murder of Regan by her sister Goneril, and Lear’s descent into madness as he understands that these two of his daughters have betrayed him, are all there. But the violence is heavily stylised, alluding to the action rather than conveying the gore. Wooden staves are used as weapons, the actor’s use of physicality to depict battles is intentionally non-realistic, and Gloucester bleeds tears of blue, rather than blood.

The question of power, and the ways in which its abuse can be challenged, is a focus throughout. Cordelia, Lear’s third daughter, connects with the audience when she refuses to flatter his ego to secure her share of his kingdom when he parcels it out between his daughters. The audience is clear on the meaning of her facial expression as she questions the fairness of his treatment of her. The fate of those who have sought to deceive Lear rather than stand up to his tyranny is made plain, as is his ultimate downfall, brought about by his own arrogance and vanity.

There is a lot of plot to pack into this shortened version of King Lear, as well as some complex doubling. Nkhanise Phiri plays Cordelia as well as the Fool, whilst Scott Brooksbank plays both Albany and Cornwall. Plot and doubling are helped by triangular flags with the initials of the characters and by brightly coloured costume accessories that are swapped according to character. The narrative is also helped by a large floor cloth on which is a child-like map of Lear’s kingdom. But, above all, it is the connection of actors and audience which makes this a compelling piece of theatre and which brings home the relevance of its themes.

The themes of King Lear might seem a lot for young children to take on board, and may be better suited to secondary schools than primary. But it’s important not to underestimate the ability of children to understand, and their ability to reflect on their own experience of the abuse of power. The RSC’s First Encounters scheme provides a team of Creative Associates who work with schools in advance of the tour, inviting children to contribute their ideas on the kind of world they would like to create. It also provides resources for teachers and parents to develop these conversations. In many ways, this is as important as the production itself.

The production is on national tour, as part of the RSC’s commitment to widening access to quality arts experiences. It includes a new epilogue by former Birmingham Poet Laureate, Jasmine Gardosi with input from children at Percy Shurmer Academy in Birmingham.