TITUS ANDRONICUS (Shakespeare Happy Hours)***

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTGPmIG1CEA

Available until: Unknown

Content warning: Murder, rape, violence, mutilation, blood, gore, cannibalism… not for the squeamish

This isn’t one of Shakespeare’s easy plays. It’s not usually seen as one of the problem plays, probably because it’s very obvious that the characters are awful and we’re not expected to sympathise with them. It’s more one where you sit back and enjoy the horror – and if you like horror, there’s plenty to enjoy. Cal commented in another review that Shakespeare was very cheeky with his humour (and he wasn’t referring to the cheeks on your face) and Shakespeare was also not averse to writing dark, nasty stories of murder and mutilation. He could basically do anything and he writes this one with relish!

If anyone thinks that watching a Zoom production would be a good way of seeing the play without all the blood, guts and gore, it’s only fair to tell you you won’t avoid all that by watching this production of Titus Andronicus. This isn’t just a rehearsed reading of the play. There are costumes and props. There is blood and severed body parts. You’d probably see a lot less at a live stage production where you’re not seeing everything in close-up. If you’re squeamish, I’d consider watching one of Shakespeare Happy Hours’ other plays instead.

But if you’re okay with all that stuff, you’ll probably enjoy this production a lot. Shakespeare Happy Hours don’t hide from the nastiness at all but anyone who’s into horror films or soap operas is probably used to double-crossing and backstabbing (and when I say stabbing, it isn’t all metaphorical). The actors really go for it as they always do and make everything look as real as they can without literally chopping off their own body parts (there’s a bit of that from the characters but the actors don’t take their performances to quite that extreme).

The acting, as always, is of a very high standard. There might not be much to admire as far as the characters are concerned, but there’s a lot to admire in the actors’ performances. Colin Hurley is quite creepy in the title role – he’s quietly-spoken and can give the illusion of being quite mild-mannered but if you cross him you’ll… well, actually, you probably won’t live to regret it.

Natasha Magigi is known for her wonderful comic performances but here we see her as Tamora and I think I can honestly say she didn’t make me laugh once. Early on she seems very convincing as an innocent, frightened victim but there’s a lot more to Tamora than that and Natasha doesn’t hold back.

Dan Beaulieu (Saturninus) and Joel Iwaskiewicz (Bassianus) make convincing politicians (I’ll leave it to you to decide whether that’s a compliment but I can’t fault their acting). Celeste Perez is astounding as Lavinia and communicates her emotions and what’s happened to her so well – it’s not an easy watch but it’s a brilliant performance. Jerome Harmann-Hardiman gives the play a rare slice of humanity (which trust me is much better than a slice of pie) but he is helpless in the face of the horror around him.

But it is Daniel Kemper in the role of Aaron who arguably makes the biggest impression of all. When we talk about Shakespeare’s great villains, Aaron is not usually mentioned (perhaps because this isn’t one of the plays that’s staged often and it’s not one of the ones everyone rushes to watch) but he definitely deserves a place with the likes of Iago, Richard III and Edmund in King Lear. Aaron is horrendous (though he does show signs of being quite a good dad) but Daniel is really compelling in the role. Certainly not likeable but rather magnificent. In a completely horrific sort of way. You could actually say the same about the play.