Coriolanus

Coriolanus may not have the name-recognition factor of some of The Bard’s other plays, but it is a marvellous piece of theatre that is wonderfully close to having its moment in the sun – thanks in no small part to stunning productions like this one by Donmar Warehouse, directed by Josie Rouke and available throughout the world via National Theatre Live.

Many of the works of William Shakespeare are revered for their timelessness, but Coriolanus only seems to grow more relevant. It tells the story of Caius Martius, a supreme soldier of Rome, who is bestowed the name Coriolanus in honour of a key victory. Urged by his domineering but loving mother to consider his future, he attempts to transition into politics, but lacks empathy and understanding of the people who would vote him into office – and they, for their part, lack any understanding of what Caius Martius has been through in their name.

The titular role of Coriolanus is often given to an elder statesman-type actor, but here Rouke has cast Tom Hiddleston, an actor best known for his film work as Loki in Thor/The Avengers. Hiddleston is so talented, though, that this never feels like mere stunt casting – he is absolutely magnetic in the role, and his youth and virility bring a fresh believability to Coriolanus as the super-soldier. Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss is similarly excellent as Menenius, the senator and political mentor. Gatiss finds humour in his lines, but never lets his character become the clown – a vital distinction that serves the production well as it builds towards its climax.

Special mention must be made of Deborah Findlay, who is absolutely stellar as the magnificent matriarch, Volumnia (and it’s no mean feat, considering that it’s only been a few years since the last great Volumnia, played by Vanessa Redgrave in the Ralph Fiennes-directed film adaptation). She is tough, striking, fearsome and utterly believable, and her pivotal lines in the climactic showdown against Hiddleston are only surpassed by her vulnerable, absolutely gut-wrenching silence in the minutes that follow.

This is a smart Coriolanus, taking place in a stage that echoes the Roman amphitheatres of the past. The minimalism of the staging and costuming allows the play to exist in the past but also act as a projection screen for our feelings about the present. Coriolanus’s rage at the populace feels strikingly eerie to the feelings expressed by returning soldiers struggling to adapt to modern life and expectations; the need of the voters to see his battle wounds and verify his glories smacks of the modern consumption of public bodies (all that’s needed is a paparazzo to trail his wife). Rouke’s direction is close to pitch-perfect, especially in the second half of the play, which marches with unsettling, unwavering certainty towards the tragic conclusion.

Of course, it’s difficult to review this Coriolanus without addressing exactly what it is that is being reviewed – an experience that haunts the liminal space between the screen and the theatre. It’s difficult to watch the action on the flat cinema screen and not feel pangs of envy for the lucky people ensconced in the intimate Donmar Warehouse space, where the square stage calls Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre to mind. The differences between stage and screen acting are on stark display here, and anyone familiar with both will wish that this were one or the other – a great film production that let these actors shine in the medium, or for a seat at the theatre to experience this Coriolanus in all its in-your-face glory. And yet, there’s still gratitude to be felt to National Theatre Live, because, truth be told, this slightly awkward filmed version of the play is still better than not seeing the play at all. This is a play worth seeing, even in its second-best format.

Rating: Four out of five stars.

Coriolanus
National Theatre Live
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Josie Rouke
Starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss
Selected screenings nationally from 22 February 
www.palacecinemas.com.au