Jude Christian’s take on Shakespeare’s early Roman revenge play is an innovative all-female and bloodless masterpiece at the Sam Wanamaker playhouse.
There’s a reason the bloodthirsty play is seldom performed is due to it’s extensive list of trigger warnings, and many performances embrace this, leaving the audience soaked in fake blood at the end of the 3 hours.
Christian has decided that in the candlelit venue, each death will be represented by the slaughter of a candle that each character holds. this is done in many inventive ways, such as being hacked to bits with knives, melted with a blowtorch, chewed up by a power drill, and pulverised by a mallet. Each deceased character then ritualistically dunks a circle of wicks into a vat of tallow, symbolising the birth, and presumably death, of a new generation.
The cast is extremely talented and, although the play is so old, make it easy to understand the events occurring. Georgia-Mae Myers plays Lavinia in an emotional and dramatic re-enactment of the rape, followed by a song that leaves the audience on the edge of their seats and emotionally moved. Beau Holland is also a great actor and provides the necessary comedic relief in the dark play. She plays many characters and provides a lighter character in the play.
In having so many characters and a limited cast, this means that many actors play multiple roles. Although this is confusing at times, the actors do a good job of introducing themselves and the play is understandable either way.
