SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Connecticut
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewJulius Caesar
|
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us. — Brutus |
|
Occasionally a cast member will break out of character and vehemently tell those making a background noise to be quiet. So are we watching a play put on by women prisoners? Complicating the issue are two members of the cast from the Clean Break Theatre company, a charity which uses theatre to support women offenders within and without the criminal justice system. Dame Harriet Walter, here playing Brutus, is a patron of Clean Break.
Enough time on this controversial design context, let’s talk about the production. Frances Barber as Julius Caesar dominates the early scenes as her supporters wear a card mask of her face and black beret, creating an anonymous, uniform army hanging on her every word.
Mark Anthony (Cush Jumbo) is not as charismatic as one would wish and in the later scenes, it becomes clear that he and Octavius (Clare Dunne) win the battle because they are so ready with guns to kill opponents. The two main characters for me are the impressive Harriet Walter as Brutus who has an amazing and noble stage presence and Jenny Jules who injects so much interest into the role of Cassius that it is like watching this play for the very first time.
Bullying features to the fore in this production. Cassius’ motivation is explained when Caesar brutalises her by stuffing unwanted food into her mouth, publically humiliating her in front of the other prisoners. The conspirators gather under the guise of darkness and wearing face masks, disguising their identity operate by torchlight. The murder takes place in the midst of the auditorium as a member of the audience is moved to another chair so Caesar can sit there. We see the horror of the murder and on the faces of the audience at close quarters to the deed. A video camera will record everything which will be shown on screens. The conspirators put on bright red gloves to show their involvement with the assassination and the iconic image of the show is one of the conspirators with blood soaked hands held aloft.
Clare Dunne, doubling as Brutus’ wife Portia (and Octavius), will describe her harrowing dreams and cut her thigh in one of the earliest records of self harming, but not yet suicidal, in the theatre. The turmoil of the funeral speeches will see a greedy mob anxious to hear what is in it for them and the cast will criss cross the stage to convey the unrest within the state caused by the death of a strong “would be” emperor.
Bunny Christie’s set is detailed, scruffy, bare painted bricks and battleship grey with the downstairs audience relocated on grey plastic chairs for the two hour run through production. Tea trays and drums provide the noise of a prison near riot.
Not surprisingly this becomes a play less about politics than the abuse of power by an individual through Frances Barber’s power hungry Caesar. Mark Antony starts his famous speech, prostrate on the ground and with a gun pointed at his head. No wonder he has to be diplomatic about Brutus! In a piece of meta-theatricality, Caesar reappears and controls the replaying of the last few minutes of one scene. The battle scenes are exciting staged as on a trolley, with strobe projection, Cassius looks at the battle ground at Philippi. As Brutus is killed the victorious army have their photograph taken with him holding up his dead body for celluloid posterity in the manner of the killing of recent dictators .
Phyllida Lloyd has crafted a thrilling production with her cast of women. Bravo!
|
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe,
E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. |
| Julius Caesar
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Starring: Harriet Walter, Jenny Jules, Frances Barber, Clare Dunne, Cush Jumbo, Ishia Bennison With: Jade Anouka, Alice Bell, Helen Cripps, Jen Joseph, Charlotte Josephine, Irene Ketikidi, Carrie Rock, Carolina Valdes, Danielle Ward Designed by Bunny Christie Lighting: Neil Austin Sound: Tom Gibbons Composer: Gary Yershon Movement: Ann Yee Running time: Two hours without an interval Box Office: 0844 871 7624 A new scheme sponsored by Barclays sees the release of seats: At 10am every Monday over 300 £10 tickets for front row seats in the stalls and circle will be released for sale. Tickets will be for performances two weeks later. Booking to 9th February 2013 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 8th December 2012 matinee at 29th November 2012 at the Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LX (Tube: Covent Garden) |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email . . . also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. |
