MOVE over Gregory Doran’s all-black Julius Caesar for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Here comes Oddsocks’ Olympic-themed version of the most famous political coup in theatre with much tearing of togas and swishing of Roman swords.
On board Oddsocks’s pageant wagon, Shakespeare’s play will be given the high-energy treatment by the Derbyshire company, whose rowdy show combines British culture with riotous comedy in the 7.30pm performance in the Museum Gardens, York, on Tuesday.
Performing Julius Caesar “as you’ve never experienced it before”, the madcap, slapstick-loving Oddsocks take their audience to a Rome whose creaking coalition is under strain as the nation’s sporting games are held to honour Emperor Caesar.
The senators are having a right Roman wrestle with their conscience, Caesar is scared by the soothsayer and the plebeians are ripe for revolt. Will the games be an expensive disaster? Will Caesar’s stinking plebs be revolting?
Find out on Tuesday in an open-air production that combines “a heady mix of Shakespeare with audience participation, live music and lots of rollicking Roman comedy, all brought together in a final epic battle scene”.
Oddsocks director Andy Barrow will be playing Brutus, alongside company regulars Lawrence Kemp as Cassius and Kathryn Levell as Calpurnia and Portia and newcomers James Percy as Julius Caesar and Joseph Maudsley as Mark Anthony.
Tickets for Tuesday and for Oddsocks’ performances at the Harrogate International Festival at Harlow Carr on July 17 and 18 can be booked at oddsocks.co.uk
Harrogate tickets also are available on 01423 502116.
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