Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
Written by Daniel Gibbons.
'I wanted to present a version cut as little as possible, and to maintain this setting in terms of the politics and psychologies of the characters, rather than, as has become popular, transposing the setting to a modern(often dictatorial) regime.'
Director Mark Smith underscores the breath of fresh air that I felt when walking into the Studio Theatre this evening.
This was a classic interpretation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It was a special treat to see a version that didn't give into the current consensus of many RSC productions. It was barely cut, making it almost three hours in length, and for once it was not placed into a modern context.
The play gives us the tale of Brutus, Caesar's friend, who, after months of receiving forged letters which incriminate Caesar, joins a group of conspiring senators who believe that the rumour being spread by Caius Cassius is true. Cassius believes that Caesar intends to turn republican Rome into a monarchy under his own rule. Caesar comes to the senate where he is stabbed to death by the conspirators.
After Caesar's death, Mark Antony deftly turns public opinion against the assassins by manipulating the emotions of the common people. Antony rouses the mob to drive the conspirators from Rome. However, Brutus wins the battle. Brutus, with a heavy heart, battles again the next day. He loses and commits suicide. The play ends with a tribute to Brutus, who has remained "the noblest Roman of them all" because he was the only conspirator who acted for the good of Rome.
There were many creative uses of space that generated a new level of excitement and fascination for the audience. The production had been brought to the front of the stage, which meant that actors were very close to us. Moreover, characters often used the aisles for entrances and exits, as well making noise behind the audience. This was a effectual way to make us feel part of the world of the Romans. It equally made us aware that the action was continuing offstage, presenting us with a sense of a constantly progressing timeline which adheres to Shakespeare's fairly rapid narrative development. And what with a clever projection effect to create a realistic-looking storm scene and eerie green lighting, it was almost impossible for us not be drawn in to the action.
The cast exhibited an immensely professional level of stamina throughout the three hour performance. Maurice Chrichton as Brutus and Dermot Hill as Cassius warrant particular praise as they were consistently focused and in tune with their character's ways of thinking, despite having to be onstage for considerably long periods at a time. Equally, the iambic pentameters were, in many cases, sustained by the actors, augmenting our impression of a faithful Shakespeare production. The skilled direction of Mark Smith should similarly be acknowledged. It was apparent that, in spite of the demanding length of the play, each scene had been carefully thought out with some original pieces of direction that seemed designed to elevate the story from the text, whilst, simultaneously, remaining close to the subtleties of meaning Shakespeare sought to portray.
Although the fairly limited resources meant that certain lighting and sound elements couldn't be explored further, the use of technology greatly aided the narrative, without turning the production into an obviously high-tech postmodern piece. This was a successful classic adaption of Shakespeare that kept the audience thoroughly interested and engrossed throughout.
Julius Caesar is on at The Studio, 41 Monkgate from Wednesday 10 June - Saturday 20 June, 19:30, with no performance on Monday 15th replaced by a matinee on Saturday 20th. Tickets are £9, or £7/£5 concessions, and are available on the door or from the York Theatre Royal Box Office on 01904 623568.
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