This is the first National Theatre performance I have seen since Frankenstein, way back in 2012 (which was brilliant, by the way), so I had high hopes for this one. The director, Nicholas Hytner, made some interesting decisions, some of which haven't been too well received.
The most unusual decision for a Shakespeare production was the movable stage. I am used to seeing the set move about and a stage being transformed, but this one actually forced the audience to move as well. Before the dialogue began, a live band entertained the audience with loud rock music, and the stage was set up very much like a rock gig. The stage lost and gained parts as the production continued, changing shape and size, until by the end it was literally a warzone. Comfortable in my cinema seat, this made for effective scene changes, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor groundlings (in Shakespeare's day, this was the standing audience) at the venue.
Next, some quirky character decisions were made. Julius Caesar (David Calder) was dressed in Trump-like attire, sporting a baseball cap with a tie and surrounded by tacky merchandise. This immediately set him up as a villainous dictator, and as a character that is not necessarily in power for the right reasons. He loved the attention, waving at the audience and soaking up the limelight. A walking stick and wheelchair on occasion gave the subtle hint that he was ill, although this felt pointless given his fate halfway through the play.
Hytner chose to cast Michelle Fairley as Cassius, making this usually predominantly male play have a female lead to balance the scales. Fairley gave a strong performance, although the world still felt patriarchal, so Cassius' motivation for wanting Caesar dead perhaps didn't translate as well as it could have. Cassius' long standing friendship with Brutus (Ben Whishaw) was clearly established in their first scene. They appeared as old friends who had been close at one stage, although a difference of opinion or values seemed to have come between them. Due to this history, Cassius was able to sway Brutus to her way of thinking relatively easily, restoring their old friendship.
David Morrissey's Mark Anthony was strong and loud. Although Brutus's speech over the dead Caesar was powerful, Mark Anthony's was even more so, throwing into question whether the conspirators have done the right thing by the nation.
The play, as always, ended with multiple deaths and suicides, leaving a sour taste. As a tragedy, it should have a tragic ending, although the final scenes seemed to drag and I was ultimately just waiting for everyone to die off.
I respect Hytner's efforts - Julius Caesar is a tremendous play to take on and it is an even bigger feat to update the characters into the 21st Century. That said, some things are perhaps better left as they are and a more traditional approach taken. A for effort, though.
