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:

2 March 2004

The Cannon’s Mouth company have made a bold choice for the launch of a brand new theatrical venue in south London. Julius Caesar is an unlikely choice for a pared-down production: there’s probably no other Shakespeare where crowd scenes play such a major part. Here, director Ben Naylor does a sterling job of covering the deficiencies in numbers, and the piece crackles with a raw energy that warms up a rather chilly space.

Naylor does make some strange decisions, however. The programme notes draw parallels with Middle East politics, in particular Saddam Hussein. But the two situations couldn’t be more different. After the fall of the Iraqi dictator, the emerging power vacuum led to more bloodshed. But that doesn’t happen in Julius Caesar, where the triumvirate quickly take control. While it’s true there are some violent repercussions, they’re part and parcel of the repressive state.

In fact, these programme notes are superfluous,...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (217.44.102.208) - 22 March 2004:

I was dragged along to Cannon Mouth's production of 'Julius Caesar' by a friend who's a big fan of Shakespeare. I'm not. Really. At school I saw too many velvet-costumed productions which bored me witless. Pantomime dowagers without the laughs, and people taking themselves far too seriously. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was enjoying this show. Enjoying it immensely! According to the programme, the entire cast are recent graduates from London's premier drama schools. And this shows: the cast is very good. And it's youthful and energetic. No gout-ridden knees or quavering voices here. And these attributes give the show a sense of life and palpable excitement which by far the majority of shows I'd seen before lacked. And, throughout, the story is clear. Even the two 8-year-olds sitting in front of us watched in rapt silence, and managed to recount the goings-on to their companion afterwards with total accuracy. The staging is inventive and visually very pleasing, especially in the second half when Rome starts crumbling. Hats off to Cannon's Mouth, director Ben Naylor and the entire cast and crew of this sharp. memorable Julius Caesar. Joanne Norton, Islington, London...

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