‘Roman Tragedies’ provokes thought
No talking, no food or drinks and no cell phones are typical pre-show announcements for typical theatrical productions. However, Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove breaks all these rules in his “Roman Tragedies.”
The revolutionary production, which combines three Shakespeare plays “Coriolanus,” “Julius Caesar” and “Antony and Cleopatra,” runs for five hours and 30 minutes without an interval.
Imagining being stuck in a small theater seat for six straight hours focusing on what is happening on the stage might make one have ants in one’s pants, but audiences can move around the seats, eat food or get drinks at a bar on the stage and take a photo and upload their thoughts about the show on their social media during “Roman Tragedies,” which will hit the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Nov. 8 to 10.
Premiered at the Holland Festival in 2007 by van Hove’s International Theater Amsterdam, the play marathon has been travelling around the world, portraying a complicated political world. This is van Hove’s third visit to Korea, following “Opening Night” in 2012 and “Fountainhead” in 2017.
The play has been a favorite around the world for 12 years, but the troupe announced that they will not stage “Roman Tragedies” in Europe anymore after the Amsterdam show in 2018. The Seoul production runs for three days.
The play superimposes different timelines but shows the same nature of politicians. The characters are ancient Romans, but written by Shakespeare in the 17th century and reinterpreted by van Hove for the 21st century.
“Coriolanus” is set during the early Roman Republic and tells of the Roman general who lacked political dexterity. “Julius Caesar,” known for famous quotes such as “Et tu, Brute?” is about politicians’ populist appeal to win over the people. “Antony and Cleopatra” portrays the relations between politics and love.
The three plays are performed in consecutive order, but they are connected to each other, portraying how politics, or politicians, shape the world.
All actors are dressed in slick modern suits as if taking a peek into the modern-day National Assembly or Congress. Another contemporary touch is gender-bending — some originally male characters such as Cassius and Octavius Caesar are played by women, reflecting the status of women in political leadership nowadays.
Van Hove also showcases his specialty of blending technology into a stage play.