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Joel MacCormack as Lucius, Simon Russell Beale as Titus Andronicus, and Emma Fielding as Marcia Andronicus. Pictures: Marc Brenner Titus Andronicus The Royal Shakespeare Company **** Shakespeare’s slasher, the bard’s biggest bloodbath, Titus Andronicus. It’s difficult to even say the title to somebody without being met with a grimace and a nervous laugh. Yet, with all that in mind there is a disturbing curiosity that we find ourselves led like lambs to the slaughter, and witness just how these shocking scenes will be executed. A large, grey, marble slab dominates the stage suggesting a classical Rome that is searching for its new Emperor but is immediately contrasted by the industrial metal grilles that perimeter the space alongside the overhead mechanical rails that turn Joanna Scotcher’s stage into an abattoir. The back wall is entirely glass windows and doors, which are either reflective or transparent depending on the scene, giving the modernity of a Canary Wharf office. Simon Russell Beale bumbles about the stage and gives a tired titular that is pulled from pillar to post as his desire to retire is denied with every successive travesty. Beale’s presence and command is one that wins Titus the vote of empathy. Titus’ sister, in this case, Marcia is played by Emma Fielding, who brings a gentle grace and nurturing nature to the role. Given the hostility of the play, this choice adds depth despite conforming to the gender stereotype.
Emma Fielding as Marcia Andronicus, Letty Thomas as Lavinia, and Ned Costello as Bassianus
Lavinia, daughter of Titus, and victim of the heinous crime which drives most of the action, is played with tenderness and a brilliant physicality by Letty Thomas. It doesn’t take long to forget that she is only acting her injuries, as Thomas brings an upsetting truth to her character. The two brothers who contend for the title of Emperor, are Saturninus, who despite being the victor is a spoiled, stroppy, manchild played by Joshua James; and Bassianus who Ned Costello gives the charm of a likeable but overlooked second son. The femme fatale, Tamora: Queen of the Goths is a formidable and fearless performance from Wendy Kweh, as she navigates her quest for liberation from Titus. Her two sons-cum-henchmen, Chiron and Demetrius, are given an unpredictable and unnerving quality by Marlow Chan-Reeves and Jeremy Ang Jones respectively. Tamora’s lover, and orchestrator of the chaos, Aaron takes up the mantle of lone wolf as events unfold around him. Natey Jones takes him from villain to victim and steals the show as he effortlessly endures a full range of emotion. There is also Lucius, Titus’ last remaining son, who Joel MacCormack performs with a strong moral compass; and the young Lucius, Titus’ grandson, played with innocence and naivety by Tristan Arthur, who's strength is in his haunting choral vocals. The violence was solved in a gruesome but mostly necessary manner. The vivid red splatters over costume and stage were highlighted by an otherwise monochrome pallet but were never overindulgent. Of the big set-pieces, some were handled with the technical finesse of a magician’s illusion, making it impossible to look away, whilst others were done practically in plain sight. Both approaches had their merit, but the two together gave a jarring experience. Brown-Williams and Cooper-Brown's routines of combat were fast and frantic. Transitions between locations were done through Jade Hackett’s choreographed routines in which the ensemble become almost animalistic, an unsettling reminder that despite the political power games that these humans play, primal instincts bubble below the surface. Curran’s binary lighting design pulled focus well, and created moments where either the audience were forced to witness the horrors as they unfolded or subdued the stage just enough that the imagination would fill in the graphic blanks. Whilst Dong’s sound design added a foreboding ambience throughout, with echoes creating a larger-than-life space. Despite Titus Andronicus being one of the lesser known of Shakespeare’s tragedies, it still has a reputation that gives an audience a particular appetite. Max Webster’s staging does well to tell the story of the characters central to its butchered heart without making the gore a gimmick. In fact, the hype that proceeds it is mainly that in this instance, which leaves the essence of the plot to take centre stage. The stage crew will be mopping bodily fluids night after night until 7th June. Richard Scott 06-05-25 Titus Andronicus tops the death count in Shakespeare’s plays with 14, all murders, with Richard III second at 11, Macbeth third at 10, depending on staging, Hamlet nine and King Lear eight. |
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