The opera in two acts is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, including elements from the traditional Japanese Noh theatre.

[1] The libretto was written in English by Tadashi Suzuki, based on Shakespeare's play King Lear.

[1][3] The UK premiere was given in the Linbury Studio of the Royal Opera House on 31 January 2002,[1] staged by director Harry Ross and designer Mike Jardine, and conducted by Gregory Rose, with Nicholas Garrett in the title role.

[1] The Lear story is framed by a situation in which a nurse reads from Shakespeare's play to an old man.

He has visions of bringing Goneril and Regan to court, and speaks in Lear's words to imagined figures from the drama.