One of Shakespeare’s least performed plays reimagined for contemporary audiences in a raunchy, comedic light. Mythic heroes become celebrity figures for an examination of toxic masculinity, ego and power.
Rating
Good
To end their summer season, The Globe stages the rarely performed Troilus and Cressida. Notoriously evading categorisation and with complex characters, staging the playtext is a difficult feat for any director. However, Owen Horsley takes it in his stride to create a raunchy satire that brings the mythic heroes back down to earth.
Masculinity and ego are central themes to the play, with the male Trojan and Greek warriors seeking to show off at any given time. Whether through a farcical parade in ridiculous gold, faux-muscular costumes or flexing muscles and fighting each other, Horsley’s focus in this production is toxic masculinity.
In line with this theme, the female characters largely become political objects of war. Cressida (Charlotte O’Leary) is exchanged for the Trojan captive Antenor (Conor Glean), followed by an uncomfortable scene where she is sexually assaulted by various members of the Greek Army. She is, though, a witty and clever character, ridiculing the men at times. Similarly, as Helen’s beauty triggers the war, her kidnap sees her subjected to sexualisation and objectification. Lucy McCormick is fabulous as an unhinged Helen, adorned in a stunning gold dress. She embodies an alcohol-fuelled yet glamorous figure as she belts out a cabaret-style song before having a hilariously tragic breakdown.
Absurdist humour and physical comedy drives the play’s dominating satirical and humorous points. For the most part it is successful but the physical comedy overdoes it on the thrusting and humping. This then affects these more serious, tragic scenes. By never fully diverting from comedy, the audience is seemingly uncomfortable, unsure whether to laugh or not at these moments.
Spectacle and celebrity are also prominent themes, with Horley adding modern twists in his reframing of the play that complement the adaptation well. The classical ‘heros’ are imagined as celebrity-like figures, fuelled by ego, power and vanity. Small details, like Helen and Paris (Matthew Spencer) posing for pictures, phones videoing them and Cassandra dressed in an activist outfit as she delivers her prophecies, are nods to modernity. Similarly, the audience are encouraged to join in with the spectacle, with characters holding ‘applause’ signs to encourage spectators to shower them with praise. Such details add to an atmosphere akin to watching a gameshow or reality TV. This approach works well with the plot whilst reimagining it in a new light for contemporary audiences.
The acting for the most part is fabulous. Bringing these difficult, multi-faceted characters to life, the small cast does well to keep attention for the almost three hour run time. Particularly Samantha Spiro (Nestor/ Pandarus), McCormick (Thersites/ Helen) and David Caves (Achilles) excel in their roles. It is also refreshing to see Horsley decide to portray the homoerotic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus so explicitly, enabling a better understanding of Achilles’ development from stubborn soldier to enraged revenge seeker.
It becomes evident why Troilus and Cressida is one of the least performed Shakespeare plays: it’s a difficult plot to follow, with complex characters and an unresolved ending. However, Horsley and the actors work well with the material, adding a modern, refreshed take that signals this play can still be relevant to contemporary theatregoers.
Directed by Owen Horsley
Produced by Tamara Moore
Design by Ryan Dawson Laight
Fight and intimacy direction by Rachel Brown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown
Movement direction by Daniel Hay-Gordon
Stage management by Rob Walker, Jen Davey and Rachel Middlemoor
Composition by Eamonn O’Dwyer
Technician George Dix
Troilus and Cressida plays at The Globe until Saturday 26 October.
