The Revenger's Tragedy

Synopsis

A tale of vengeance, violence and lust n the finest traditions of Jacobean tragedy. As he holds the skull of his beloved - who rejected the licentious old Duke’s advances and so was poisoned - Vindice plots the Duke’s grotesque murder. But in a court where adultery, rape and incest are the norm, his vengeance does not stop there. An orgy of ritualistic, even playful, bloodletting follows.

Our Review:

4 June 2008

Roses fall through a spotlight one by one onto a cracked and broken mosaic. This simple and powerful opening suggests a strong vision for the production, but it is a vision that, at times, wavers. That said, this is a play determined to leave an impression.

Contemporary with Shakespeare’s later works, The Revenger's Tragedy is a powerful Jacobean revenge tragedy in which it seems that every character has a reason to seek revenge on every other. Stephen Tompkinson, of Ballykissangel and Brassed Off fame, plays the central role of Vindice, seeking revenge against the Duke for the deaths of both his father and his lover. With the aid of his brother he finds a role at court, disguised as the sleek Piato, and is given the job of soliciting his own sister’s virginity for the Duke’s son.

Tompkinson plays the dual roles of Vindice and Piato convincingly, although in the first half he is more engaging when playing t...

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