This production of Coriolanus was very highly anticipated for me. This play is so underrated, and as my colleagues and I discussed, it's basically just a star vehicle play for theatre companies to put a hot man on the posters (the most famous of these productions being Tom Hiddleston also at the National Theatre).
Lyndsey Turner's production was set in a museum gallery of-sorts. It featured artifacts from the time of the Roman Republic, and it was absolutely stunning (designed by Es Devlin). One of my favorite moments was when Coriolanus took a sword and shield from its display and used them in his first fight against the Volscians. The museum
setting slowly evolved into more of a traditional set, which was sleek and lovely, yet understated enough to never distract from the story. The lighting design by Tim Lutkin was some of the most incredible I have ever seen, and I loved the use of TV cameras and projections. The final moment was absolutely spectacular, Turner's concept came full-circle as after Coriolanus' funeral procession, it all went to black and a little boy came out and a museum closing announcement played, as lights came up on David Oyelowo posed like a statue in a museum. It was just lovely and will stick with me for a long time. What a brilliant use of concept. I do, however, wish a little more time and drama would have been spent on the assassination. It felt a bit rushed and difficult to see, but the emphasis was certainly on the funeral procession which followed. The scene when the women enter the camp to try to convince Coriolanus to not attack Rome was equally stunning and haunting with Annemarie Woods' incredible design.
David Oyelowo was fantastic as Coriolanus. His breakdown at the forum before he gets banished was wonderful, the cameras really made this moment feel very real and intense. He was an absolute force to be reckoned with in this role, I believed every second that he was a true battle-hardened warrior. Pamela Nomvete was a forceful and impressive Volumnia, but I felt as if maybe she didn't play as much of an involved role in the story as she typically does. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith was a formidable Aufidius, but I felt as if the chemistry between him and David Oyelowo could have been stronger. Stephanie Street and Jordan Metcalfe as the senators were despicable in the best way.
Coriolanus is a difficult play in the sense that the protagonist never soliloquizes the way that any other Shakespearean tragic hero does, he himself says: "when blows have made me stay, I fled from words" (II.ii). We never get to know Coriolanus and his mind the way we do Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, or any of the others of their ranks, which is why it can sometimes be difficult to hold audience sympathies. That being said, having a closed-off protagonist helps add to the very muddy theme of Roman politics. Shakespeare really creates a sense that neither side is the correct choice, both are incredibly flawed. Overall this production was visually stunning and captivating all the way.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
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