William Shakespeare’s classic Roman tragedy JULIUS CAESAR was written and first performed at the newly created Globe theatre in London in 1599. The world that the Bard presents in JULIUS CAESAR is not so far from our own. One only has to see the UTube video of the last moments of the life of Colonel Gaddafi, and the way his bloodied corpse was dragged through the streets by the liberators, to acknowledge this.
In Peter Evans’s production, Alex Menglet plays the proud, well intentioned Julius Caesar who is cut down in his prime by some of his Senate colleagues including his close friend, Marcus Brutus.In the leading role of Brutus, Colin Moody, one of Australia’s finest dramatic actors, gives a striking performance. He presents a Brutus aggrieved by his far too hasty action in joining the band of conspirators.
In an intriguing directorial choice, Evans casts a woman in the role of the lead conspirator Cassius. Kate Mulvany (also the production’s dramaturg) gives a convincing performance as the lean and hungry, ambitious Cassius.
Daniel Frederiksen plays Mark Antony, a colleague of Caesar’s who is fortunate enough to survive the conspirators killing spree to then deliver one of the finest speeches ever written,’Friend, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears’.
Rebecca Bower and Katie-Jean Harding impress as the wives, Julius Caesar’s Calphurnia and Brutus’s Portia, who fear for the paths that their husbands have chosen.
Keith Agius plays Caesar’s soothsayer, (as well as Cicero and Lepidus), who warns the proud Caesar that the ides of March will be his undoing.
Anna Cordingley’s set features an imposing, large Roman column, surrounded by scaffolding,(suggesting its impending collapse), and together with Kelly Ryall’s dramatic score and Paul Jackson’s well defined lighting, shapes the evening.
Peter Evans’s production of JULIUS CAESAR for the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company opened at the Playhouse theatre, Sydney Opera House on Thursday 27th October and runs until Saturday 26th November, 2011.
(c) David Kary
November 1, 2011
Tags: JULIUS CAESAR, BELL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY, Peter Evans, Alex Menglet, Colin Moody, Daniel Frederiksen, Kate Mulvany, Benedict Hardie, James Wardlaw, Gareth Reeves, Keith Agius, Katie-Jean Harding, Rebecca Bower, Anna Cordingley.