Theatre 2014: Review Twenty-Four

Julius Caesar, Shakespeare's Globe, London. August 2014.

Another lovely day weather wise and this time spent in the almost outdoors theatre!

I was a little apprehensive at seeing this one as I've seen a production of Julius Caesar before and my review then was a little ambiguous and I think that this one will be too as I've decided that perhaps it doesn't matter what the staging is I'm just not keen on this play.

I was right in my assessment of preferring the Globe version, the involvement of the audience in the key scenes in the first half was brilliant, I felt really swept away in the Lupercalia celebrations and surprised when it all turned darker.

The scenes with Brutus and Mark Anthony were also wonderful, the famous "friends, Romans, countrymen" speeches really had impact and like at a public meeting I felt myself first believing one and then changing my mind and following the other - the power of speech.

The second half again, whilst still fast paced and well acted, just didn't carry me along in the same way and this is why I think the play itself isn't for me rather than any fault with any production.  A play of two halves, and from that I prefer the first!


This production continued with the bloody theme and I am beginning to wonder if the stage will be stained pink forever!

A play summed up Rebecca as "a bit stabby" which is possibly a slight understatement!