Titus Andronicus

Synopsis

A study of the destruction caused by the misuse of power and the machinations behind the lust for power. A revenge tragedy with a truly chilling climax.

Our Review:

30 September 2003

Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's early and seldom performed tragedy, ought to chime well with modern sensibilities given our current appetite for the films of Quentin Tarantino and Wes Craven which offer a similar mixture of gore galore, horror and black comedy. Last performed at the some Swan 15 years ago but distasteful still to many critics; what sort of reception will this "carnival of carnage" receive nowadays?

Well, I saw two members of the audience making a premature exit. This is a play, don't forget, which depicts the rape and subsequent dismemberment of a woman, self-mutilation and, most famously, the slaughter, cooking and feeding of two sons to their mother baked in a pie.

Not that director Bill Alexander pours on the gore. Lavinia's assault and subsequent 'trimming', as one character has it, takes place offstage and the use of stage blood is restrained. Restraint, in fact, is the keyword for this production which features minim...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (193.118.203.3) - 3 November 2003:

We saw Cymbeline in matinee and Titus after dinner (thankfully). I do have to grit my teeth to sit through Titus but felt this was a nicely restrained production without too much gore. I that Bradley Freegard excellent as Lucius and his emperor believably a hope for a more stable future....

Read more and add your own review