To beard or not to beard?

Available for over a year

Does it matter if an actor's beard is real or fake? The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced Sir Antony Sher will play King Lear in 2016. The theatre company wanted to stage the production immediately after Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, with Sir Anthony Sher playing the lead in both, but it's claimed Sir Antony needs time for his beard to grow. Theatre critic Tim Walker feels putting on a fake wig or moustache can help an actor get into character but theatrical make-up artist Kate Griffiths said 'Fake beards can look real...but it is down to the actor worrying if it's going to come off".