OBSERVER: Titus Andronicus
The gratuitous violence and callousness of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus has often seen the work sidelined, but in this interpretation by directors Kevin Hopkins and Claire Nicholls, the moral ambiguities of exacting revenge, the political schemes perpetrated, and personal grievances manifested are all made relevant.
Josh Morrison makes for a powerful Titus caught between duty to the state and the love of his family.
The challenge is to play the emotional untethering, where madness and reason become confused, gradually over the course of the play.
This ultimately allows him to serve his daughter’s rapists up as a meal to their mother.
The unity of the cast in developing characters that are able to deliver lines convincingly speaks to their ability to inhabit roles that have emotional depth and purpose. Hopkins and Nicholls have kept the performance space sparse, trusting in the cast’s ability to convey atmosphere.
The oriental costuming (Paulina Kostove), while a quirk, serves to highlight the ordered world of Rome where the play is set, in contrast to the shambolically dressed Goths.
The foundation of Shakespeare’s craft as an emerging playwright are evident in this performance. The political appeals to the audience invite participation. Shakespeare broke the fourth wall before the term even existed.
David McLean