Titus Andronicus RSC

[lynette]

I'm giving this a new thread separate from the RSC 2017 because a) I can't find one so I'm assuming I'm not duplicating and b) it deserves some attention. The last time I saw this was with Judy Gleeson  at the Aldwych in the (she mumbles a bit ) 70s and I swore I would never bother again..until now. I was wooed into booking by the fact that it is directed by Blanche McIntyre and I happened to meet her at a couple of RSC chit chat things. 

It's good! I mean the play is a terrible condemnation of humanity and there is no redemption in it at all. It is revenge tragedy par excellence and no pissing about with other motives or deep psychological insights or even a sub plot. But this production which is in modern dress actually makes something of it and dare I say it, references stuff that is now sadly part of our lives in a way it hasn't been before. I'm not a big lover of the relevant being shoved at us but here it is done with a light touch if you can call gallons of stage blood a light touch, and with no apologies for laughs amid the grotesque. 

David Troughton born for the part and giving a bit of a King Lear audition on the side. All others v good, set following on from JC and Ant&Cleo with the pillars but this time caged in, as I said modern dress which works well. Lots to discuss - nature of revenge of course, also kingship, father child relationship, guilt, redemption, government.. and there were loads of young 'uns there tonight, about three school groups. They seemed 'rapt'. 

Recommend. 

[Deleted]

We thought this was awful

Seen it many times

The best was Ninagawa version

The direction here is cack handed

And the acting patchy

Tamora is particularly awful

And the actor playing Saturninus terribly sneery and pinch faced

There is a an awful opening

That goes on for ages and ages

People running about the stage

With placards and people looting

And after that the setting is never explored again
So what's the point of trying to forcibly update a play and then giving up before you have started

The RSC is going to the sh*ts

And I am going to stop going there

Is either mediocre

Or crap

Prices are high

I am not interested anymore

It should be the gold standard of Shakespeare's

Ironically that is what they are now worst at

[Deleted]

And the same set for all three plays

It's so skanky

Cheap skate gone mad

[martin1965]

Jun 29, 2017 23:51:36 GMT @parsley said:

We thought this was awful

Seen it many times

The best was Ninagawa version

The direction here is cack handed

And the acting patchy

Tamora is particularly awful

And the actor playing Saturninus terribly sneery and pinch faced

There is a an awful opening

That goes on for ages and ages

People running about the stage

With placards and people looting

And after that the setting is never explored again
So what's the point of trying to forcibly update a play and then giving up before you have started

The RSC is going to the sh*ts

And I am going to stop going there

Is either mediocre

Or crap

Prices are high

I am not interested anymore

It should be the gold standard of Shakespeare's

Ironically that is what they are now worst at

Good please stop going now and save us all from your boring rants!

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2017 4:18:02 GMT martin1965 said:

Jun 29, 2017 23:53:48 GMT @parsley said:

And the same set for all three plays

It's so skanky

Cheap skate gone mad

Stupid a*se

The RSC

Are supposed to be purveyors of Shakespeare

Or the highest standards

They haven't had a rave success for years

Matilda was their last major success

They haven't done any stunt casting for a while

Therefore have had to discount and give away tickets

And many many other companies are directing and staging Shakespeare in more interesting and innovative ways

And using the same set for 3 shows

Is just cost cutting

And it's visually ugly

[lynette]

Oh dear.

[Deleted]

I have seen 5 productions of Titus

And the film

This RSC offering was the worst of the lot

[Deleted]

I'm on three live productions and the Taymor movie, the RSC's last production (directed by Michael Fentiman) is still miles ahead as the best one.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2017 18:18:52 GMT @baemax said:

I'm on three live productions and the Taymor movie, the RSC's last production (directed by Michael Fentiman) is still miles ahead as the best one.

Yes I liked that one

But the Ninagawa was so stylish

It is mr favoured

The film is wonderful also

I would love to see that dream cast on stage

And it's so stylised

Taymor at her best

[lynette]

Look my sweetie pies, I'm sorry to have sparked this 'I've seen the best Titus' fest. I said I'd seen one other one and I didn't try to pass off this current RSC offering as a life changing theatrical miracle. I just happen to think that it is good and as this play doesn't come up that often, people might like to go and see it.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2017 21:47:46 GMT lynette said:

Look my sweetie pies, I'm sorry to have sparked this 'I've seen the best Titus' fest. I said I'd seen one other one and I didn't try to pass off this current RSC offering as a life changing theatrical miracle. I just happen to think that it is good and as this play doesn't come up that often, people might like to go and see it.

There are elements of goodness

But the setting and period are all mixed up

And in my mind

The opening shenanigans

Were incongruous with the rest of the play

And themes

Ditto the costumes

There was no consistency in any of this

I also forgot the radical version

At Arcola

A few years back

So I think I have seen 6

[theatremad]

I will take umbrage at the above poster's comments about the RSC producing nothing worthwhile, though the Main House offerings have been patchy, the Swan has produced some excellent productions over the last few years (and a string of great shows starting with Seven Acts this year). The Main House has produced a couple of gems but not nearly as many.

I enjoyed this, my personal best is between the Ninganawa and the Bill Alexander 14 years ago.

To be honest I liked the 'dress down' look, I'm tired of Tamora looking like something out of a space opera. My three issues were:

- The awful running around at the start
- Discovery of Lavinia by Marcus Andronicus: lacked the gut punch it normally has
- Same with Lavinia's death, seemed awfully unemotional to me

As far as the shared space is concerned, I really struggled with it with JC/AAC but enjoyed it in this one and felt it actually worked.

[Deleted]

Jul 1, 2017 15:25:54 GMT theatremad said:

I will take umbrage at the above poster's comments about the RSC producing nothing worthwhile, though the Main House offerings have been patchy, the Swan has produced some excellent productions over the last few years (and a string of great shows starting with Seven Acts this year). The Main House has produced a couple of gems but not nearly as many.

I enjoyed this, my personal best is between the Ninganawa and the Bill Alexander 14 years ago.

To be honest I liked the 'dress down' look, I'm tired of Tamora looking like something out of a space opera. My three issues were:

- The awful running around at the start
- Discovery of Lavinia by Marcus Andronicus: lacked the gut punch it normally has
- Same with Lavinia's death, seemed awfully unemotional to me

As far as the shared space is concerned, I really struggled with it with JC/AAC but enjoyed it in this one and felt it actually worked.

The same Seven Acts

They were giving tickets away for?

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2017 21:47:46 GMT lynette said:

Look my sweetie pies, I'm sorry to have sparked this 'I've seen the best Titus' fest. I said I'd seen one other one and I didn't try to pass off this current RSC offering as a life changing theatrical miracle. I just happen to think that it is good and as this play doesn't come up that often, people might like to go and see it.

Funny enough Lynette I clicked on this thread because it IS a play that doesn't come up that often and I'd forgotten it was on until a friend mentioned they were seeing it. 

So I thought I'd see what the informed people of the board thought...

I'll come back when we're done having a Tit(us) off I reckon  

[theatremad]

Jul 1, 2017 16:11:41 GMT @parsley said:

Jul 1, 2017 15:25:54 GMT theatremad said:

I will take umbrage at the above poster's comments about the RSC producing nothing worthwhile, though the Main House offerings have been patchy, the Swan has produced some excellent productions over the last few years (and a string of great shows starting with Seven Acts this year). The Main House has produced a couple of gems but not nearly as many.

I enjoyed this, my personal best is between the Ninganawa and the Bill Alexander 14 years ago.

To be honest I liked the 'dress down' look, I'm tired of Tamora looking like something out of a space opera. My three issues were:

- The awful running around at the start
- Discovery of Lavinia by Marcus Andronicus: lacked the gut punch it normally has
- Same with Lavinia's death, seemed awfully unemotional to me

As far as the shared space is concerned, I really struggled with it with JC/AAC but enjoyed it in this one and felt it actually worked.

The same Seven Acts

They were giving tickets away for?

They may well have been giving tickets away for it, but I was classing it as an excellent production not a sold out one like so many Swan shows. The two do not equate in my eyes. 

Les Miserables may be sold out but I would never class it in the great productions categorically.

[crabtree]

And no one has really mentioned the violence, which is at the core of the piece. The last swan production really was a classy affair, right from the design to the special effects - a perfect, ripe production of an extremely ripe play.

[Deleted]

I saw the midnight Globe Titus a couple of years ago, and enjoyed that. Just back from Stratford seeing Titus this afternoon, and I enjoyed that too.

I agree (argh) with Parsley that the running around at the start went on a bit and didn't go with the rest of the play. They seemed to be trying to make a serious point there but then forgot about it after the first half hour or so. I didn't like the strange choreographed dance/fight that went on for too long at the start either.

Once it got going though I enjoyed it, mostly. It's a bonkers play with a pretty ridiculous plot and I liked that they embraced that and didn't seem to take it too seriously. Nia Gwynne was mostly really good, although what the hell was that accent about in the scene with David Troughton in a box waving his stump around? And what on earth was she doing to that box with her leg?

I found this one much less gory than the Globe one, but easier to follow who was related to who. I liked having the ghosts appearing to remind me which sons were which.


I'd agree with Theatremad too about 7 Acts of Mercy. I wouldn't have gone from the brochure notes, but I got £10 tickets and I loved it. I think it's a shame it wasn't sold out and talked about more, as it was excellent.

[David J]

I watched the Deborah Warner production in the archives recently, and have to say I really admired its simplicity, production value wise.

There was just a wooden stage and barely any sound effects or music used. It was deathly silent as this figure crawled on from the back and came forward to reveal itself as the mutilated Lavinia.

The Lucy Bailey production was similarly simple with the stage covered in black. I don't know about the Ninagawa production (would like to watch that another time), but the images of red ribbons against the white set is quite striking.

I feel that the horror of the violence can speak for itself, with no need for elaborate production values like the last Swan production.

[Deleted]

There hasn't been as much on at the RSC recently that I've wanted to see, I have to admit. Today was my first visit since 7 Acts in January. I don't want to see Julius Caesar or Anthony & Cleopatra, or the current Swan plays. I might go to see Coriolanus possibly, and I will go to Twelfth Night, but that's about it really.

Over the last couple of years though, I have really liked a lot of the Swan stuff - Faustus, Alchemist, 7 Acts. I loved Queen Anne and Don Quixote. In the main house, I enjoyed The Tempest and Cymbeline, and loved the Henries cycle. Lear was ok, but not really my cup of tea. I haven't loved anything as much as I loved the Loves Labours Lost/Loves Labours Won pair though.

[David J]

I have harped on about it on the forum but I concur Elanor. Apart from Cymbeline and Merchant most of the main theatre productions under Gregory Doran go for detailed sets and historical accuracy. Things were more creative back in the Michael Boyd days, and even Gregory Doran was more adventurous than he is nowadays.

Simon Godwin's Hamlet last year is the only real gem I've seen there in recent years. Before that Maria Aberg's 2013 As You Like It (one of the last productions under Michael Boyd) holds a special place in my heart

The Swan Theatre is really the only place to go nowadays. Loved Don Quixote, The Rover, Snow in Midsummer. Vice Versa is on right now and whilst it isn't great I'd sooner see that over Antony and Cleopatra. The cast and people involved love what they do and it shows, whilst the Roman lot in the main theatre reverently deliver the plays in the clearest way possible, but with no real passion. And this is (supposedly) being overlooked by the same director of Don Quixote

For nearly nine years I've been to see most of the RSC shows. Now I am considering only going up for the Swan lot and catch up with the main theatre shows at the cinema.

[bee]

Just come out of the evening performance. I'd say I'm more in the Lynette/Elanor camp than with Parsley on this. It's gory and barking mad, but the actors just about get away with it, and Troughton is fantastic when he's giving it some proper welly.

Having said that though, the opening section with the hoodies running about, looting and having a f***ing bizarre dance-off with the cops, was almost unbearably naff. They did well to recover from that.

[schuttep]

Although other companies can do Shakespeare well, I'm a firm believer that the RSC do them best, in general.

I've seen all Shakespeare's plays but had two left to see produced by the RSC; this was my penultimate missing one - now I only have to see them do Pericles.

This was better than the Shakespeare's Globe version I saw a few years back: intelligible and accessible even if it is, as has been noted elsewhere, a bonkers story. It's still a riveting story.

Gruesome it is (a lady audience member fainted at my performance necessitating a short unscheduled break).

I was pleased to see this, although I would have liked to see the theatre more than 3/4 full.

[Deleted]

Jul 3, 2017 9:49:55 GMT schuttep said:

Although other companies can do Shakespeare well, I'm a firm believer that the RSC do them best, in general.

I've seen all Shakespeare's plays but had two left to see produced by the RSC; this was my penultimate missing one - now I only have to see them do Pericles.

This was better than the Shakespeare's Globe version I saw a few years back: intelligible and accessible even if it is, as has been noted elsewhere, a bonkers story. It's still a riveting story.

Gruesome it is (a lady audience member fainted at my performance necessitating a short unscheduled break).

I was pleased to see this, although I would have liked to see the theatre more than 3/4 full.

In this case

You need to get outside of the UK

The RSC skimp on casting and staging nowadays

Of the "top" lists of Shakespeare staging I have seen over the last 20 years

Only Hamlet, Merchant of Venice and Antony and Cleopatra

Feature the RSC as my definitive versions

Namely: Tennant, Patrick Stewart and again Stewart and Harriet Walter 

And all these productions had big names in them and they are all quite old 

The RSC seems to be shying away from casting major acting talent (yet charges ridiculous prices for their shows)

Recently all the best Shakespeare I have seen has been nothing to do with RSC

All my other definitive versions are either from Barbican, Donmar, NT or the WE etc. etc. 

[lynette]

To be honest I think the biggies are often given brilliant outings by companies other than the RSC. Hytner's Othello was the best I've ever seen and in my top ten Shakespeare productions I've ever seen. And the recent Arcola RIII with Greg Hicks is very, very good. I loved the Tennant Hamlet and hated the Stewart Merchant. Henry Goodman is the one who has got closest to that very tricky business in my opinion, at the National yonks ago now.
But year in, year out the RSC offers not just the biggies but the smallies and the doubtful. The recent Two Noble Kinsmen was excellent. The recent LLL and LL'W' totally amazing. The History cycles have been revelatory over the decades from the earliest I can remember ( being but a babe of course ) in '64 to the most recent. Sometimes they go for something weird like Meckler's Romeo and Juliet or just dull, like the tapestry play I once saw. Can't even remember what it was except it was all big cushions and drapery. But as I say, over the years they are reliable and entertaining and rigorous. Who would bother with Titus, you'd think but here is a solid production which opens up the comparisons and the parallels with his other work and contemporary events. So I take the long view.

[martin1965]

Indeed, the "problem" the RSC have in the mainhouse is that they are restricted to Shakespeare (im not counting the xmas family offerings) and it is therefore inevitable that there will be dud productions sometimes. Whereas in the Swan they have more variety and more likely to appeal, espesh to those who dont mecessarily want Shakey. I still love it tho😊