Review-The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar-Shakespeare in the Port
19-4-14
By: Olivia Rosenman
From the macho, thuggish politics of ancient Rome to the racy, wheeler-dealing of Minsky’s burlesque empire in 1930s New York, this is The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar, and what a great idea for an adaptation it is. The almost all-female cast skillfully transplanted the plotting of Caesar’s assassination into the modern day. As back-stabbing, burlesque queens, they are excellent conspirators to murder.
The show emphasized movement over dialogue. There were some brilliant dance numbers and visually it was very engaging. The music was a real pleasure, including Nina Simone, Beyoncé done burlesque-style and a great saxophone solo.
Recreating the seamy smokiness of 1930s burlesque dens was difficult on an outdoor set. The director probably made the best decision in not even trying, leaving the set very minimal. The glittery, feathery costumes were great but on their own they were not quite enough to carry the whole burlesque atmosphere.
The sound-levels were a huge problem. The open-air setting is difficult, and it was exacerbated by a few loud guests at a nearby restaurant. But the production needed to find a way to overcome this challenge and sadly it did not. Some actors had microphones, some didn’t (I couldn’t work out why), but even the amplified actors were difficult to hear and the speech of those without often was completely inaudible. A brief dialogue between Mark Antony and Octavius was a huge relief; the two actors had simply taken a few big steps closer to the audience and their voices projected perfectly. It left me wondering why the director didn’t shift all the play’s action to the very front of the stage.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing about not being able to hear was missing out on some of the excellent lines for which the play is famous. I think I might have heard “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”, but I can’t be sure. If Caesar said, “You too, Brutus?”, I didn’t hear it. Nor did I hear “Beware the ides of March”. This was really disappointing. Being a die-hard Shakespeare geek obsessed with the bard’s use of “words, words words” (Hamlet: II.ii), missing out on the dialogue felt like a very heavy cross to bear.
The setting is delightful. For a city with beautiful, balmy weather almost all year round, the dearth of outdoor events is staggering. Instead of sitting in an over-air-conditioned theatre with your knees jammed up against the seat in front, you’re out in the summery, fresh air, sitting on that green stuff we so rarely see in Hong Kong (yes, real grass!). Instead of paying an exorbitant price for a glass of crappy wine at interval, and having to chug it down in ten minutes, you can bring a whole bottle and a picnic too and quaff and nibble at your leisure throughout the show. For this reviewer, Shakespeare, grass, cheese and wine is pretty much an ideal night out. The venue is easy enough to find and is well equipped with clean toilets. The staff were friendly and it looked as if they had a stack of picnic blankets to lend out in case you forgot.
Overall, there was a great atmosphere and it was a very enjoyable evening, and this meant I left not feeling too aggrieved about having not heard all of the play. I sincerely hope Shakespeare in the Port will inspire more like it in the future. But, in order to really clinch it, any future outdoor festivals will have to find a way to overcome the problem of projection of sound.
The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar is playing through May 4th as part of Shakespeare in the Port. For more information, click here.
Comments
Ada Lau
I saw the show on the matinee and agree with the critic. Main issue in the show is the actor's don't speak loud enough. Everything else about the festival: the atmosphere, the design, the dancing is great. But it's a Shakespeare festival. We want to hear the words!
20 April 2014Shugz
I saw the show too and enjoyed it very much. The critic is right. Sound was an issue. I thought Brutus was brilliant!
20 April 2014Sammie
This show was beautiful to look at, especially the costumes and the lighting. The actors needed to speak louder adn the music needed to be be softer in parts. I could tell the actors were shouting at one part adn we still struggled to hear them!
21 April 2014Adrian Walsh
Saw it on Saturday afternoon. Absolutely stellar. Great performances and was impressed by the cast and crew's ability to carry on despite a little rain right before show. Go and support this festival!
27 April 2014Mimi Wong
Wonderful show! Our daughter loved it especially the actresses who played Cassius and Brutus.
03 May 2014