Titus Andronicus - Theatre Review

As soon as I found out that the RSC’s current season included a production of Titus Andronicus, I knew that I wanted to see it. I don’t get to see RSC productions as often as I’d like, but the rare nature of a production of Titus Andronicus was one I did not want to miss out on. 

Before the show begins the stage is occupied with the corpses of three of Titus’ sons, being prepared for burial. The battle-weary Titus – compellingly played by Stephen Boxer – then appears, along with his son Mutius, to silently bid farewell to his dead sons. This wordless scene was well handled, as it allowed for a bond to be established between Titus and Mutius, which is something the text does not provide. It was also very thought provoking as Titus gave a half-hearted military salute after paying his respects, which drove me to think about the effect that the deaths of one’s sons would have upon one’s faith in a greater cause: at this stage Titus has lost nearly twenty sons in his servitude of Rome.

The opening scene unfolds at a fast pace, and does a great job of making sense of the manic nature of the plot. Katy Stephens manages to make Tamora’s motivation for revenge against Titus completely sympathetic, through an anguished cry upon the execution of her eldest son. The unflinching manner with which Titus murders his own son Mutius is almost enough to depict him as the villain of the piece, but such is the nature of the play, and the motivations for revenge will drive the audience into switching sides as the narrative continues to unfold.

The design of the production combines traditional (albeit extravagant) dress, with much more modern styles. There is a fascinating image when Titus’ sons stand together in full battledress with swords in hand, facing off against roman guards dressed in riot-squad uniforms and wielding truncheons and plastic shields. For most of Shakespeare’s plays this type of eccentric design wouldn’t work, but for a play as mad as Titus Andronicus it works. 

Director Michael Fentiman gets the tone of the play right, knowing when to go serious, when to play for laughs, and when to showcase the madness of the story. If the production was entirely serious then it would be too horrific and depressing for audiences to handle, but there are enough tell-tale signs in the text that ‘serious’ is not the tone to go for. The most obvious sign being the fact that the story becomes completely ridiculous around the point when Titus cuts off his hand as ransom for his sons safe return, only to receive their decapitated heads moments later. If this isn’t enough of an indication, then Titus bursting into laughter and conferring with his sons heads (which is hilariously done in this production) should remove any doubt. This doesn’t mean that the production is devoid of drama, far from it, but it knows what tone to go for and when to flick the switch. The resultant piece is engaging and compelling throughout its two hour forty-five minute running time.

The production takes advantage of the gory nature of the story, and with it creates spectacle. Blood is used sparingly in the early stages, but this allows later scenes to use excessive blood to a greater effect. The deaths of Chiron and Demetrius are very impressive, Titus’ removal of his hand (with a hacksaw) was done in full view of the audience, and the finale was so visually impressive it would be worth re-watching the entire show just to see that scene again.

Stephen Boxer and Katy Stephens – who I’d previously seen playing leading roles in Taming Of The Shrew and As You Like It, respectively – are both on top form, bringing forth the humour and insanity of their roles. John Hopkins does a very good job as the ineffectual ruler Saturninus, confident yet insecure; and Matthew Needham brings enough strength to his portrayal of Lucius (one of the more ‘normal’ characters in the story) that he remains interesting and doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. 

For me the standout performance goes to Kevin Harvey as Aaron. Always an engaging presence whenever he took to the stage. Every monologue is delivered like poetry, and the character remains calm and unflinching almost throughout. His mere presence in scenes with Chiron and Demetrius is enough to undermine the pettiness and immaturity of their motivations and attitudes. The calm nature of his portrayal means that when he finally shows his fiercer nature over the protection of his son, it is completely convincing. I hope to see him in more shows after this.

I mentioned before that the show made use of scenes without any dialogue to great effect, and the final image before the lights go down takes full advantage of this, one that is certain to leave a lasting impression.

This show is running until 26^th October, and I would recommend it to anyone who happens to be around Stratford before that time. If I get the chance, I’ll see it again!