Show Preview: Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Dominic Dromgoole

Composed by Claire van Kampen

Designed by Jonathan Fensom

CAST
Catherine Bailey, Portia
Sam Cox, Marullus/Caius Ligarius
Patrick Driver, Lepidus/Cinna
Anthony Howell, Cassius
George Irving, Julius Caesar
Joe Jameson, Octavius Caesar
Christopher Logan, Casca
Tom Kanji, Soothsayer
William Mannering, Titinius Metellus and Cimber/Cinna the Poet
Tom McKay, Brutus
Keith Ramsay, Lucius/Young Cato
Paul Rider, Messala/Cicero
Katy Stephens, Calphumia
Luke Thompson, Mark Antony
Dickon Tyrrell, Decius Brutus/Lucilius

FRIENDS CLOSE, ENEMIES CLOSER

When Caesar returns to Rome from the wars a virtual dictator, Brutus and his republican friends resolve that his ambition must be curbed – which in Rome can mean only one thing: the great general must be assassinated. But once the deed is done, the idealistic conspirators must reckon with the forces of a new power bloc, led by Mark Antony and Caesar’s nephew Octavius. When their armies close at Philippi, will Caesar’s ghost be avenged?

Opposing dictatorship and republicanism, private virtue and mob violence, Shakespeare’s tense drama of high politics reveals the emotional currents that flow between men in power.

INTERESTING NOTES

Although the title is Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar is not the most visible character in its action; he appears in only five scenes. Marcus Brutus speaks more than four times as many lines and the central psychological drama is his struggle between the conflicting demands of honor, patriotism and friendship. Julius Caesar was originally published in the First Folio of 1623.

REVIEW FROM THE ARTS DESK

For those who believe spin is if not a modern invention, then at least a modern fascination, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar offers a sharp rejoinder. Interpretation, manipulation and persuasion pervade this incisive drama about the assassination of the Roman ruler, with the company donning layers of pretence as actors playing politicians whose lives unspool upon a stage; those who do not choose their lines with care are doomed to failure. Dominic Dromgoole’s traditional production, with Elizabethan dress and straightforward staging, is a tad unadventurous, but by eschewing gimmicks, it places the spotlight upon the gripping war of words.

REVIEW FROM THE GUARDIAN

Dominic Dromgoole's lively production, with Elizabethan costume and Roman accessories, delivers Shakespeare with great clarity, but the main roles are unevenly cast.

REVIEW FROM OFFICIAL LONDON THEATRE (READ THIS LINK)

As you enter the auditorium to be met by rowdy chants of “Caesar” and raucous celebrations, you demand an actor who can ensure you believe in Caesar’s powerful influence with just a glaring look and royal wave; a charismatic George Irving does just that. Buoyed by the confidence of triumph in war, Irving plays the nation’s star with an edge of likeable swagger and just a sliver of arrogance.