Director Max Webster arrives In Stratford to direct his first production for the Royal Shakespeare Company hot on the heels of recent critical and popular success with Macbeth at the Donmar and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ at the National Theatre. For his debut with the company he has given us a glorious interpretation of ‘Titus Andronicus’ which, whilst sparing none of the blood and gore associated with Shakespeare’s bloody revenge tragedy, also manages to encompass the filial love at the heart of the play.
The Costume Design by Joanna Scotcher places this ‘Titus’ somewhere in the present; a gorgeous grey-black palette suffuses the stage with long luxuriant coats and smart suits replacing the martial uniform of Imperial Rome. Scotcher also designed the set, the action played out on a marble stage etched with Latin phrasing with a metallic gutter running around the perimeter, both demonstrating the glory of empire and also the blood that was spilt in order to achieve it, hinting at the torture chambers hidden beneath the palaces of some modern dictator power.
Webster delineates a great empire degenerating into fratricidal war as two brothers Bassianus (Ned Costello) and Saturninus (Joshua James) vie for the acclaim of the populous to become Emperor. Returning from a triumphant war against the Goths, General Titus Andronicus (Simon Russell Beale) is asked to adjudicate as to the relative merits of the two candidates, and upon choosing Saturninus sets in motion the beginnings of a vicious cycle of revenge between all the main protagonists which leaves a bloody trail of death and mutilation in its wake.
So, Tamora (Wendy Kweh) the captured Queen of the Goths, seeks revenge on Old Andronicus for the execution of her son by inciting her other sons Chiron (Marlowe Chan Reeves) and Demetrius (Jeremy Ang Jones) to rape and mutilate his daughter Lavinia (Letty Thomas), which in turn pushes Andronicus into unspeakable pastry based retribution. Simultaneously, Aaron (Natey Jones) Tamora’s lover, plots and schemes to cause chaos and cruelty punishing all of Roman society for their subjugation of him as a dark-skinned outsider. As demanded, the conclusion is reached with a huge body count and enough blood to satisfy the most voraciously vampirical enthusiast, the final act dinner party descends in chaotic bloodletting with hosepipes of blood running onto the marble stage to the sound of Delibes ‘Flower Duet’. Clear pop culture influences abound with Kubrick’s ‘Clockwork Orange’ Greenaway’s ‘The Cook, The Thief….’ and Bret Easton Ellis’s ‘American Psycho’ adding to the Tarantinoesque conclusion and providing Looney Tunes levels of violence.
However, what distinguishes this production is the bouts of intense brutality, sadism and cruelty are punctuated by the most exquisite scenes of tenderness and love. The decision to reimagine Titus’s brother Marcus as Marcia (Emma Fielding) his sister was inspired and provided one of the most heartfelt scenes of the evening when she discovers Lavinia following her rape and mutilation. The empathy displayed by one woman to another in this instance brought a new pathos to the scene and added emotional weight. In a similar vein Aaron is undone by the love of his newborn child and Titus’s mind is overthrown by the sight of his daughter, filial love softly and gently rendered and paced to balance the bloody chaos unfolding as the evening progresses.
Jade Hackett as Movement Director imbues the ensemble with bestial choreography, summoning up images of ghostly shadows of the deceased protagonists whilst the Sound Design of Tingying Dong juxtaposes metallic industrial clangs with wild natural noise to accompany the balletic movement onstage. The full cast is uniformly excellent with James giving a spoilt and sulky Saturninus and Kweh channelling her inner dominatrix as Tamora, particularly catching the eye. Natey Jones dominates his scenes, whether it is eye-bulging rage or wonderingly tickling his newborn child, he is eminently watchable. His anger at the world channels the racial subjugation present in the text and delivery and defiance remain even as he is buried alive at the conclusion.
Simon Russell Beale is the ‘star turn’ – despite his protestations to the contrary – and his performance does not disappoint. His emotional range is magnificent, turning from choleric anger to bemused sadness in an instant, his broadly squat physique gives heft and weight to the character. Always teetering on the brink of malevolent humour his delivery mines the text for hidden gems, as when he pauses after instructing Lavinia to pick up a severed head realising she has no hands to do so, a twinkle in his eye breaking the solemn tension of the audience into raucous laughter.
I was glad of the two-hour drive home from Stratford, which gave me time to digest (intentional pun) the production. Its visceral bloodiness will be remembered, but it can imbue even the most awful characters with sympathy and understanding of motive that will stay with me the longest. It is a truly memorable production.
Reviewer: Paul Wilcox
Reviewed: 29th April 2025
North West End UK Rating: