In 1974, Buzz Goodbody directed "Lear", a deliberately abbreviated title for Shakespeare's text, as the inaugural production of the RSC's studio theatre The Other Place. The performance was conceived as a chamber piece, the small intimate space and proximity to the audience enabled detailed psychological acting, which was performed with simple sets and in modern dress. Peter Holland has speculated that this company/directoral decision—namely "choosing" to present Shakespeare in a small venue for artistic reasons when a larger venue was available—may at the time have been unprecedented.