Post by marion on Nov 7, 2024 9:13:05 GMT
I am not overly fond of this play having seen it years ago with Sir Ian McCellan, and there is an extremely good film version by Ralph Fiennes. The big draw here is the return to the UK stage of David Oyelowo.
The production took me by surprise as it is very brutal with lots of stage fighting and action. At one point the fight goes into slo mo, much like an action movie, and the music is deafening! So I was surprised by how overwhelming the early scenes were. It’s 490 BC. As a reward for his war efforts against the Corioli, Gaius Martius is dubbed Coriolanus and appointed Consul but to be confirmed in that he has to go humbly before the people and beg their support, as directed by the Tribunes of the People. Well, he is a very arrogant patrician so that goes against the grain and the Tribunes report back to the people that he didn’t mean a word of it! So he is summarily banished and joins Rome’s enemies in their attack on the City. Persuaded by his wife and mother, he then changes his mind and so Rome is saved but he is killed. This is a very brief idea because the actual show lasted 2 hr 45m.
I thought was a very well developed version of the play. David Oyelowo proved himself to be a very skilled stage actor and he convinced as both a daring soldier and a haughty aristocrat. He’s also got extremely big feet, I couldn’t help but notice!😂. The other characters were also well played, especially the leader of the enemy tribe, the Volsci, the duplicitous Tribunes of the People and Coriolanus’ family. His mother played by Pamela Nomvete was particularly strong. Although nearly three hours, it fairly zipped along, with the verse being spoken at quite a pace and some extended battle action you wouldn’t necessarily see. Pretty macho overall I’d say.
The theatre was more or less full and it got an excellent reception. They actually made it seem pretty modern and fast whereas it could easily drag in the political elements. So well done all round!
(The only irksome thing is that in the posters David O. is standing bare chested with his muscles gleaming from being well oiled… We didn’t get this look in the show!😂)
The production took me by surprise as it is very brutal with lots of stage fighting and action. At one point the fight goes into slo mo, much like an action movie, and the music is deafening! So I was surprised by how overwhelming the early scenes were. It’s 490 BC. As a reward for his war efforts against the Corioli, Gaius Martius is dubbed Coriolanus and appointed Consul but to be confirmed in that he has to go humbly before the people and beg their support, as directed by the Tribunes of the People. Well, he is a very arrogant patrician so that goes against the grain and the Tribunes report back to the people that he didn’t mean a word of it! So he is summarily banished and joins Rome’s enemies in their attack on the City. Persuaded by his wife and mother, he then changes his mind and so Rome is saved but he is killed. This is a very brief idea because the actual show lasted 2 hr 45m.
I thought was a very well developed version of the play. David Oyelowo proved himself to be a very skilled stage actor and he convinced as both a daring soldier and a haughty aristocrat. He’s also got extremely big feet, I couldn’t help but notice!😂. The other characters were also well played, especially the leader of the enemy tribe, the Volsci, the duplicitous Tribunes of the People and Coriolanus’ family. His mother played by Pamela Nomvete was particularly strong. Although nearly three hours, it fairly zipped along, with the verse being spoken at quite a pace and some extended battle action you wouldn’t necessarily see. Pretty macho overall I’d say.
The theatre was more or less full and it got an excellent reception. They actually made it seem pretty modern and fast whereas it could easily drag in the political elements. So well done all round!
(The only irksome thing is that in the posters David O. is standing bare chested with his muscles gleaming from being well oiled… We didn’t get this look in the show!😂)
Anymore to come?
