London is a dream
come true for theatre lovers. From contemporary and experimental drama, through
musicals, to the classics, there is a performance for everyone, and often with
a stellar actor in the lead role. As one wanders around the West End and Covent
Garden, names like Ben Whishaw, David Tennant, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Law, or
Tom Hiddleston glisten on the posters decorating the fronts of the theatres.
The last two gentlemen star in productions of Shakespeare's plays Henry V and Coriolanus respectively – both critically acclaimed and sold-out
performances, or perhaps not quite
sold-out. Sometimes getting up well before dawn and queuing for hours in the
hope of snatching one of the few returned or standing tickets is just what it
takes to get in, and I did. The 4:30 a. m. start was well worth the effort for
having the pleasure of witnessing Jude Law lead the English to the battle of
Agincourt in the afternoon, and Tom Hiddleston almost singlehandedly defeat the
town of Corioles in the evening.
Henry V is one of Shakespeare's finest history plays,
portraying the king of England making his claim on France. Directed by Michael
Grandage at the Noel Coward Theatre, this play about leadership, warfare and
patriotism – themes that resonate with the audiences to this day – is brought
to life in an exciting production. A whitewashed wooden half-circle serves as a
set, clearly referencing the “wooden O” of The Globe the Chorus mentions in his
opening speech. Its simplicity leaves much to the imagination of the audience,
while providing a space for mood-enhancing projections and allowing ingenious
use of the various doors and trapdoors to portray the changing locations amid
the chaos of battle. The actors appear in medieval costumes, except for the
Chorus whom Grandage also assigns the role of the Boy. He is clad in
contemporary clothing, wearing a Union Jack T-shirt and jeans, thus
establishing perhaps a little too forcefully a link with the present. His
double role, performed by the energetic Ashley Zhangazha, often highlights the
contradictions of the grand patriotic speeches of the Chorus and the bloody
reality of war.
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| Image credits: Magdalena Císlerová |
Incidentally, Tom
Hiddleston stars as Henry V in The Hollow
Crown series, the recent BBC's superb adaptation of four Shakespeare's
history plays: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V.
However, he takes on quite a different role – that of a proud Roman general who
goes from hero to zero – in Josie Rourke's production of Coriolanus. Set in the early days of the Roman republic threatened
by the Volscian army, Coriolanus almost singlehandedly wins the battle and returns
to Rome, celebrated, to run for consul. Yet he is unwilling to overcome his
pride to suck up to the plebeians, and is expelled from Rome. He joins the
Volscians in order to take revenge on his own city. A play full of angry crowds
and bloody battle, the tiny 250-seat Donmar Warehouse makes for an interesting
choice of venue, however the play works surprisingly well in such an intimate
space, which Rourke utilizes ingeniously. The staging is reduced to a brick
wall sprayed with graffiti by the plebeians demanding “Grain at our own price”,
complemented only a by a single ladder and a row of chairs, which together with
a few fireballs are enough to convey brilliantly the battle scenes at Corioli.
Graffiti is added throughout the performance, chairs are manoeuvred around as
loud techno music fills the theatre, while the actors stroll around the stage
in an eclectic mix of contemporary and Roman clothing, the soldiers sporting
skinny jeans and Doc Martens with leather armour, gloves and swords. The
refusal to confine the production to a certain period of time emphasizes the
relevance of many of its issues, such as the struggle for democracy, power of
manipulation, and the responsibilities of public service, to today's audiences.
The fights are
ferocious, so much so that in one scene Coriolanus emerges from behind the
battlements so drenched in blood he later takes a shower on stage, gasping as
the water hits his wounds. It is quite an extraordinary moment, providing not
only eye-candy for the female audiences, but more importantly showing the
vulnerability of the flawed hero, turned into a killing machine by his monster
of a mother who rejoices at each of his new scars. Hiddleston gives a
breathtaking intricate performance as the Roman soldier: fierce in battle,
humble after victory, scornful in his treatment of the plebeians, gentle with
his wife, and thunderous upon his expulsion from Rome. When his mother, wife
and son plead him to spare Rome, Hiddleston's long unmoving gaze reveals with
much intensity his dilemma and emotional turmoil as he decides to exchange
pride – his vice – for sympathy, knowing he is signing his death warrant by
doing so. The rest of the cast deliver superb performances as well, especially
Deborah Findlay as Coriolanus' overpowering mother Volumnia, and Mark Gatiss as
the witty senator Menenius.
Neither Henry V nor Coriolanus are among the most popular plays of the Bard on the
Czech theatre scene, but on the stages of the Noel Coward Theatre and the
Donmar Warehouse they come to life with such a thrilling force in well-crafted
and illuminating productions that it is clear they have much to offer. As I was
leaving the Donmar Warehouse that night, the poignant image of Coriolanus'
execution still fresh in my mind, I knew that the fate of the warrior king and
the Roman general would stay with me to ponder long after the tube ride to my
temporary London home was over.
-
Magdalena Císlerová
