Titus Andronicus at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Titus Andronicus is no doubt one of Shakespeare’s weirdest plays. Bloody to the core, featuring murder, mutilation, rape and psychological torture, there is little that is sacred in this story of an ageing Roman general. This all-female production by director Jude Christian treats the premise with a good portion of humour: constantly flippant in portraying what was possibly a parody of a revenge tragedy, it frequently ridicules through the acting, slapstick and original additions. While this usually works, it does sometimes become a little overbearing.

The result is what feels like a black comedy that lives on its contrasts. Katy Stephens as the titular Titus Andronicus is delightfully sombre and full of passion and energy in a performance that would be just as perfect in a more serious production. Her polar opposite is Lucy McCormick as emperor Saturninus, a blabbering, hedonistic fool, who from her first appearance delights with beautiful self-mockery. Together they highlight the absurdity of the play, which only ever takes a break when more weight themes are discussed. This is particularly the case in Georgia-Mae Myers’s portrayal as Lavinia, Titus’s daughter who is mutilated after having been raped, and Kibong Tanji’s stellar performance as the main villain Aaron. In this production, the portrayal of Aaron particularly concentrates on his status as a black man in imperial Rome.

The production itself utilises candles to represent the lifelines of the characters – whenever they are killed, their light goes out; when they are mutilated in some way, part of the candle is chopped off. While at times effective, this particular detail does occasionally lend itself to more of a farce than a satirical take on the tragedy. But musical director Fred Thomas’s participation adds an apt amount of gravitas to the production: whenever something horrific happens on stage, the music reflects it. In contrast, the presence of a harpsichord feels wonderfully comedic when paired with this modern take on the play.

Christian’s Titus Andronicus is, as such, a general success. It is frequently amusing with a good sense of humour and generally strong performances that carry the play. But it’s a thin line between a genuine satire and an outright burlesque – and this production does occasionally overstep the mark. Nevertheless, it’s thoroughly entertaining for an audience that can stomach the serious themes.

Michael Higgs
Images: Camilla Greenwell

Titus Andronicus is at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from 19^th January until 15^th April 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.