Regan Street (Stratford)

It can't have escaped too many people that there is a substantial number of Stratford's streets sporting names of Shakespearean characters. In fact there are 67. Most are recognisable, but Regan Street may fall beneath many people's radar.

What is even more remarkable is that a town would name a street after such a reprehensible person.

This was noted by no lesser person than Sir Ian McKellen, famous for his portrayal of Gandalf in the Sir Peter Jackson films from the Tolkien novels, and an extraordinary Shakespearean actor.

Sir Ian was in town in May 2012 with his one man show to raise funds for Christchurch's Isaac Theatre Royal reconstruction after the earthquake. Somewhat taken aback he remarked, "I noticed a street named Regan Street. Now I am not sure if you realise who Regan was, but she was a terrible woman - a psychopathic torturer. I wouldn't like to have Regan Street as my address".

Regan is in fact the daughter of King Lear. Her sister, Goneril, hatches a plan to oust their father from power and, aided by Regan, takes part in some the most horrific violence in any of Shakespeare's plays.

Most notable is the blinding of Gloucester, who tries to help Lear after he is banished from both Goneril's and Regan's houses.

Goneril suggests they "pluck out his eyes", but it is Regan who sadistically goads Gloucester after one eye has been plucked, when she says to her husband, the Duke of Cornwall, "One side will mock another, th'other too".

In the end the evil sisters turn on each other as they both lust after the same man, Edmund.

Goneril poisons Regan and then kills herself.

While the naming of a street after such a horrific character might seem strange, it does celebrate the power of Shakespeare's work and could be a timely reminder to all that, in the end, evil implodes on itself.

Some argue that the harshest judgement of the sisters is that absolutely no-one laments their deaths.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.