Machiavellian politics meets military might in this bold and modernising reimagining of Shakespeare’s Roman drama.
Cauis Martius comes to Rome’s rescue when it is under attack, leading its military victory and defeating his old foe Aufidius. His performance earns him the title Coriolanus.
Lauded by the Senate, he is nominated as consul but the public is wary – and fearing their own power is at risk the people’s tribunes engineer his undoing. Coriolanus refuses to play politics and schmooze the public, despite the protestations of his wife and mother.
When his intransigence leads to accusations of treason, his friends help to get Coriolanus’ death sentence commuted to banishment. Bitter at his treatment he seeks out the defeated Aufidius and turns on Rome, leading an attack by the enemy army.
While retaining the ancient Roman backdrop, director Jez Pike’s adaptation splices in mobile phones, rolling TV news, and social media, with a large video wall across the back of the stage displaying playful captions and scene-setting footage.
The set is contrastingly simple, with a couple of shiny tables and a handful of plastic chairs the only dressing for most of the action.
The text is more complex. The modern twists necessitate some alterations but Pike goes much further: the story is effectively told as a flashback in one of Aufidius’ therapy sessions. A fractured narrative jumbles the action slightly and overlays some scenes, for example, blending combat scenes with action back home. Modern day attitudes to immigration are inserted through added scenes, and the tribunes celebrate their victory over Coriolanus by doing shots. This is definitely “Shakespeare-ish”, as one of the introductory slides cautions.
It’s a vibrant and engaging approach, and for the most part works exceedingly well. The video segments are well produced and feel genuinely integrated into the story rather than just gimmicky, and the juxtaposition of scenes brings out the differing impacts of war on families, soldiers, and politicians.
There is also a strong ensemble driving the action. Nick Bodger as Menenius is the arch louche politician, but with an underlying bedrock of emotion; as Cominius, Richard Carey-Knight is a rough-edged former soldier, expressing as much through words as his physicality. Nikhila Mahadevan and John Dane are superbly unlikeable as the scheming tribunes, and Adrian Tissier slips seamlessly between befuddle senator and urinating tramp – I had to double check the programme that it was the same actor.
Harder as Coriolanus doesn’t get the same stage time as some of Shakespeare’s central characters – this is not a soldier prone to soliloquy – but definitely looks and acts the part. Pike doubles up his directing role with reading in Aufidius due to a late casting change, bringing a gentle menace.
This is a punchy adaptation, creatively directed and excellently acted, adding a contemporary spin to one of Shakespeare’s lesser known stories.
- Coriolanus continue at Sewell Barn Theatre, Norwich until 29 November 2025.
