Court delivers epic production of Shakespeare’s bloodiest
Titus Andronicus, Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Dan Bain The Court Theatre, until March
The advance publicity had almost persuaded me that The Court Theatre’s new production of Titus Andronicus would be little more than litres of fake blood and a mound of body parts loosely cemented together as a salute to the splatter movie.
But I was wrong. My badly formed preconceptions were swept away by the raw emotional power of Dan Bain’s production. His cast distil Shakespeare’s earliest tragedy into something timeless, potent and unsettling. The set and costume designs put it in a dystopian world of punks and despots, a mood enhanced by the edgy lighting and sound effects.
While the concept of revenge remains an essential ingredient, Titus Andronicus is firstly a portrait of corrosive human grief. There’s nothing gentle about a play that splatters the stage with blood, but Bain balances this violent excess with an infinitely subtler quality when the audience’s imaginations are gently plucked by invisible fingers of fear and compassion.
As Titus, Owen Black is introduced as the implacable and unyielding military hero before the rape and mutilation of his daughter, Lavinia (a luminous and wrenchingly sad Miriam Qualls) and contrived execution of his two sons tips the delicate balance between sanity and madness. In a mesmerising portrayal, Black sustained a towering presence, overwhelming everything in his path with a voice that roared, lamented and threatened.
Eilish Moran gave one of the performances of her career as the Goth empress, Tamora, delivering a riveting portrayal of allconsuming hate, assisted by two repulsively reptilian sons, Chiron (Ben Freeth) and Demetrius (Ralph McCubbin-Howell).
Cameron Douglas preened his way through his role of the epicene Emperor Saturninus, while Tom Trevella as Marcus delivered an appropriately solid, wise presence.
Casting Kathleen Burns in the role of Lucius, Titus’ only surviving son, worked well, despite any lingering temptation to become Xena, Warrior Princess.
Baki Amani as Aaron injected energy and flair into the role but his delivery was often unclear, something which needs attention. Some of the smaller roles might also benefit from added dimension. But these are minor complaints in a production of such strength and gravitas.
Bloody Shakespeare it might be, but it’s one with a truly epic quality. – Christopher Moore