Over at the Tower Theatre, their new production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is set in a modern ‘Londinium’ but uses the original Elizabethan text, with only a few trims.
As performed here, the play runs just shy of 2 hours and 35 minutes, with the interval coming just after Caesar’s assassination.
The story is a simple one: the senators of Rome conspire to remove their emperor, Julius Caesar, believing he has become too ambitious and must be stopped for the good of the empire.
Led by Brutus and Cassius, with a ragbag of supporters in tow, they seize the opportunity to rid themselves of their troublesome leader on the Ides of March.
Police clash with Caesar supporters in a contemporary demonstration, complete with signs handed out to the audience and officers in riot gear. It’s energetic and full of promise.
We then switch to Caesar returning in victory, with Mark Antony in London Marathon running gear. Olivia Chakraborty’s staging, set in the round, retains the hallmarks of the tragedy we know, while adding a contemporary spin.
Other interpretations have significantly shortened the running time, stripping the text back to keep the drama moving. The Tower’s version is almost complete: the murder of Cinna the Poet is absent, and Brutus’s final scene is truncated.
It’s also well cast in the principal roles. Arthur O’Kelly (Brutus), James Collins (Cassius) and Zac Sargusingh (Julius Caesar) are particularly strong, while the remaining cast cover a multitude of parts.
The standout performance comes from Joe Davidson (Mark Antony), who convinces as the seemingly meek observer who becomes a leader of the people in the second half. This is a drama of plotting and power, false friends and quiet determination, ambition and honour.
I wasn’t entirely persuaded by the modern setting beyond a handful of references and the occasional brandishing of guns, but the production generates enough tension to overcome any inconsistencies.
I liked several of the ideas here, including having actors seated among the audience during Mark Antony’s oration, as well as a number of the lighting choices (design by Nick Insley). Sarah Afriyie brings poignancy to the role of Portia, while Rebecca Hill makes a determined Calpurnia.
Casting women as Cinna (Jenny Jou) and the Soothsayer (Louisa Shindle) also helps address the male bias that often blights productions of this play.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars.
Julius Caesar is at the Tower Theatre until 27 Jun. Details here, and read about the Tower Theatre Company in my feature here.
Photo credit: Marc Gascoigne