Thanks to the social media world, the excitement levels for seeing Julius Caesar were a little off the scale. Even as you walk towards the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, you begin to feel the excitement and anticipation rise up in you.
The setting of this production is Ancient Rome and, as always, the set is simple but perfect. There is certainly the vibe of two teams going to war, as even the colours chosen as cloaks for the characters are blue and white. The lighting is also similar to that you would find at a sports stadium.
However, I am ahead of myself. You are drawn into the bright, bustling city of Rome from the moment the actors appear on the stage. Of course, there is a moment where the Ides of March is mentioned but that does not end the celebrations for those involved…
The production gives a lot of weight to the manipulation of Brutus by Cassius. Although, Caesar lets power and success go to his head, you feel that Brutus is far too easily influenced into extreme actions. Mark Antony avenges Caesar with great skill and therefore I left the production on #TeamCaesar (he did have an impressive team of groupies).
As always at the RSC, the production is beautifully acted by the strong ensemble. It reminded me of the ensemble of 2009. Caesar showed domination, Cassius showed manipulation, Brutus showed too much trust and Mark Antony showed loyalty. The set was a piece of artwork (in both halves) and the musical production brought the whole piece together.
If all the Rome Season 2017 is as slick and inspired as this play, it will be a hard season to beat.
Do you fancy trying to catch Caesar and picking your team?
