Julius Caesar

Synopsis

Victorious and valiant, yet proud and tyrannical, Julius Caesar is murdered by his closest allies. But the assassination divides Rome and bitter war begins.

Our Review:

4 February 2002

One of the problems with staging Julius Caesar is that much of the action revolves around the crowd scenes. Indeed, it is the fickleness of the mob that provides the play with its key turning point. The director's difficulty is how to capture the power of the masses - without resorting to a Hollywood cast of thousands.

Edward Hall's production dispenses with the opening crowd scene altogether. The play begins, in a Brechtian manner with a song on the very un-Brechtian theme of strength through the republic. Just in case anyone had any doubt that this was a decidedly fascist Rome, the curtain reveals the words "Peace, Liberty and Freedom" picked out in neon lights overlooking the stage and a crowd of black-shirts ready to welcome Ian Hogg's strutting Caesar, striding through the audience, shrouded in confetti and milking the adulation.

The key funeral oration scene also dispenses with the mob, as Mark Antony makes his speech against a background of sporad...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 5 February 2002:

Same fascist look at Hamlet. Even Cicero looked like one. Why? The started out okay. But after 20 minutes it was very tedious. Where is the equivalent of RSC's splendid performances of last year? And what is the artistic reason for not having a break at all?...

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