WRITTEN BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
DIRECTED BY SHARON MAINE
Preview (8pm) -
Evenings (8pm) -
Matinee (3pm) –
Ashwood College Performing Arts Centre, Vannam Drive, Ashwood (Melways ref: 60 J10)
Bookings: 9889 5006 or bookings@hartwellplayers.org.au
Tickets – Adults $18, Concession $12, Family $40 (Group discounts available)
Please note we can only accept cash payments at the door.
In case you were napping all through high school, the story is essentially this: Julius Caesar is poised to become emperor of Rome, ending the Republic and putting all of the nation’s power in one man’s hands. When Caesar returns to Rome a successful conqueror, he's revered by all. All, that is, but the aristocracy -- who fear that he's getting a little too big for his britches. Several senators conspire to keep this from happening by killing Caesar, among them his beloved friend Brutus. Unlike the other conspirators, motivated by envy and greed, Brutus only aims to preserve the Republic. So sure is he of the necessity of this deed that he expects Rome to be grateful for his sacrifice of his good friend. Not surprisingly, things don’t turn out that way. Once the event takes place, however, the play has yet another turn to take. The deposers, thinking themselves victorious, become victims of the evils they'd foisted upon the returned ruler.
Although the play is titled Julius Caesar, it is not so much about that character as it is about those who conspired against him: Caius Cassius and Marcus Brutus.
Director Sharon Maine has modernized the play. She has redistributed a character list of nearly 50 into a tight ensemble cast. Not only that but to celebrate Hartwell’s anniversary of it’s inception, the show has an all-female cast!
Everyone, from the leads to the bit players, is convincing; this depth of cast is particularly valuable in Julius Caesar, where Caesar (Maggie Morrison) is the titular character and Brutus (Rachel Negus) serves as the tragic heroine of sorts, but the play remains an ensemble piece. Cast members play off each other, especially Kym Davies as Cassius, and Janeen Sonsie as Casca. Then there is Keziah Gilliam as Mark Anthony, Caesar’s protégé and avenger.
Hartwell Players has managed to create a vital piece of theatre that heralds the past as it embraces modernity.