Western interference in Middle Eastern affairs is nothing new. 2000 years ago the Roman Empire sent armies to "pacify" countries resentful of its arrogance. Many fought back through the arts of war; others tried the arts of love; both went down before superior fire-power - but not without a struggle. This is one of Shakespeare's least-performed major tragedies, even though in the opinion of many critics, it is the best of them, embracing as it does the fate of the mighty empires and multitudes of people throughout the whole range of the world as it was known in Roman times. No doubt one of the reasons is its scale, 40 named roles, supernumeraries, soldiers, attendants servants etc. Even the National or RSC would struggle with a cast this size. But it takes a bold director to send a message down the centuries "Now listen Will; perhaps you should reconsider this extravagance if you want the piece performed in the 21st century". Adrian has taken that bold step. In presenting a new adaptation for nine performers new multi-layered character traits were found in entourage surrounding the world leaders, revealing an intricate tapestry of conflicting and developing motivations| 10 Oct 06 to 14 Oct 06 | Theatre at the Tabard Outer London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
