Theatre: Coriolanus (5 Stars)

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had never seen any Shakespeare plays performed live, even though I have read the majority of them. "Coriolanus" is the first that I have seen. It was performed live in the Donmar Warehouse in London and simulcast to cinema screens throughout the world yesterday, January 30th 2014. "From Mexico to Sidney" was the slogan, although I dread to think what time of day it was in some of the locations.

While I was at school I read two Shakespeare plays in my English Literature classes. The first was "Julius Caesar", the second was "The Merchant of Venice". A few years later my grandfather died and I salvaged his copy of the "Complete Works of William Shakespeare" that my grandmother was about to throw away. I lapped it up, reading play after play in quick succession during a university holiday. Having lost my momentum I didn't continue in the next holiday. I probably read about two thirds of his plays. I don't know how they were ordered, chronologically or by type, but I never got as far as "Coriolanus". If I remember correctly, in the next holiday I began to read the plays of Friedrich Dürrenmatt, which I admit that I enjoyed more than Shakespeare. And then I discovered the books of Michael Moorcock, and Shakespeare was forgotten.

Never having seen Shakespeare performed before, neither in the theatre nor on television, I had nothing to compare yesterday's performance with. The only impression that I had was that it was a modern, not a traditional performance. The soldiers were dressed in typical Roman military garb, but all of the other actors were wearing 21st Century clothing. The common people wore jeans, while the rich people wore fine suits and dresses. The shape of the Donmar Warehouse makes a typical stage impossible, so the off-stage characters were not hidden behind curtains, they were sitting on chairs at the back and stood up when they "entered". This jarred for the first 15 minutes, I admit, but after that I got used to it. The powerful story and the skilled acting engulfed me so completely that small technical details became irrelevant.

I'm glad that I had never read "Coriolanus" before seeing the performance. The story was new to me. I realise that many of my readers may already know the story, but I shan't give it all away in this review. I'll refrain from spoilers, as I do with most of my film reviews.

The play tells the story of the Roman general Gaius Martius, who lived in the 5th Century, long after the decline of Rome's glory. After successfully conquering the city of Coroli he is given the title of "Coriolanus" to honour him. Due to his great popularity the people elect him consul of Rome. A few years later (though it seems immediate in the play) the people turn against him, due to his mishandling of a famine and his outspoken criticism of the greedy common people. As a result he is banned from Rome. In exile he plans his revenge.

The story is very relevant for today. Some people compare Coriolanus with the fascist dictators of the last hundred years, but that's not the connection I make. I see him more as a privileged aristocrat. He's the Eton schoolboy who feels destined to become England's prime minister, not caring when the people he rules over become poor and hungry. The tribunes, though they were elected officials in Rome, represent the press, who sway the public opinion one way or the other. The people are the people. They think they've made up their own minds, but in truth they're being manipulated.

All the actors in the play gave strong performances, but Tom Hiddleston was nothing short of amazing. Whether he was caught up in the bloodlust of battle, angrily decrying the people or weeping with emotion, his performance was stunning. A brilliant actor.