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Timon of Athens
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Synopsis
A notable Athenian falls prey to false friends and parasites because of his own beauty - now his money is almost gone. Spurning his false friends he hides in the woods outside the city where he finds gold, some of which he shares with Alcibiadies, himself unjustly banished, and his loyal servant. Eventually he dies and hearing of it Alcibiadies decides to revenge his death on the city.
Our Review:
18 July 2012
Timon of Athens is Shakespeare's strangest play. Generally accepted that it was written in partnership with Thomas Middleton, it tells the story of a man betrayed by his friends and turning his back on society, his country and all humanity. Nicholas Hytner's exciting new production captures the essence of Timon the man, while not losing sight of the political conditions that created him.
As has now been widely reported, Hytner's concept draws parallels with contemporary events. In a world reeling from successive financial scandals, optimistic punts and tycoons living beyond their means, Timon seems a kindred spirit, and Alcibiades' rebel army is now a bunch of masked anti-capitalist protestors.
The play opens with the dedication of a Timon room at a gallery (where, with unsubtle irony, El Greco's painting of Christ driving the moneylenders from the Temple hangs on the wall). Timon is quickly surrounded by a crowd of hangers-on all hoping to benefit from his ...
Latest User Review
David Baxter - 20 September 2012:
It's a testament to the genius of Shakespeare (and probably Thomas Middleton) that one of the more neglected plays suddenly seems to be bursting with relevance in these austere times and it is only surprising that nobody else has thought to stage it in this fashion. The great Simon Russell Beale has been a bit inconsistent by his high standards of late but he is absolutely supeb as a philanthropist bestowing gift on ungrateful "friends" which he simply can't afford. He's like an avuncular Ed Balls throwing money around and incurring incalculable debt and then refusing to accept any of the blame - I wonder if Nick Hytner appreciates the full irony when he bleats about arts subsidies when essential services are being cut. SRB also brilliantly conveys the bitterness and misanthropy of Timon when he is reduced to penury but after a scintillating first half the second act is less convincing and his discovery of a stash of gold is scarcely credible. Hilton McRae is very good as the cynical Apermantus but his role feels reduced and Alcibiades and his fellow protesters are only sketchily developed which makes for a damp squib of an ending. This is a brilliant production of a supposedly problem play but only when SRB as Timon holds centre stage....
Cast
Simon Russell Beale (Timon)
Nick Sampson
Martin Chamberlain
Jason Cheater
Stavros Demetraki
Paul Dodds
Deborah Findlay
Creative
Shakespeare (Author)
National Theatre (Producer)
Nicholas Hytner (Director)
Tim Hatley (Design)
Bruno Poet (Lighting)
Christopher Shutt (Sound)
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