Berenice

Synopsis

Berenice's long and patient wait is over. Her lover, Titus, is now Emperor of Rome and with his succession, she can become his queen. But the Roman people make their disapproval known and Titus must choose between love and responsibility. Antiochus, Titus' best friend, is sent to comfort her, but reveals his own unrequited love for Berenice.

Our Review:

Theo Bosanquet - 3 October 2012

Designer Lucy Osborne has given the Donmar a dramatic makeover for this new production of Racine’s Roman tragedy Berenice. The stage is formed of sand, which cascades from the ceiling in spotlit streams and creates an immediate ‘wow’ factor.

Racine’s five-act saga - running in Alan Hollinghurst’s new version at a brisk hour and 45 straight-through - centres on the dilemma of Emperor Titus who is torn between his love for Palestinian Queen Berenice and his duty to the people of Rome, who expect him to marry a Roman.

Further complication comes in the form of Antiochus, Titus’ friend who harbours his own designs on Berenice but finds himself in the rather undignified position of go-between.

The big draw in Josie Rourke’s production is Anne-Marie Duff in the central role and, dressed in a sultry red dress with an Angelina Jolie-esque split up one leg, she certainly lives up to the billing with an assured and...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 2 November 2012:

They say that Racine is almost impossible to stage in English and that certainly seems to be the case in another disappointing production from Josie Rourke. Without the poetry of the original French text we are left with a very prosaic love triangle set in an odd sandpit which is meant to represent an Imperial Roman palace. Anne-Marie Duff is excellent as the tragic Berenice but she has almost nothing to work with as Dominic Rowan and, especially, Stephen Campbell-Moore virtually phone in performances entirely devoid of passion....

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