This has been the hardest read yet. Not because of the text but because of my own history with the play.
In my post on Romeo and Juliet I mentioned that the REPO men had tackled
one other of the Bard's back catalogue and this was it. REPO
productions were proud to present... a three man version of Julius Caesar
heavily edited so as to play for laughs but with a bit of pathos thrown
in for good measure! I played Brutus, another played Cassius, the third
both Caesar and Anthony. We filled in for those other parts which had
made it past the edit by wearing different hats or coats but always in togas and army boots! The only other person on stage was Sooty (also
in a toga) who we needed in the conspirators scene to swell the
numbers.
So my problem now is that as I read it I can still see and hear all the
gags - Caesar in Groucho specks, nose and tash; constant references to
Cassius passing wind; the senate assassination undertaken with flowers
rather than daggers ("At-choo Brute!"); and a moving mime show, of the senseless slaughter as Roman fought Roman, to the haunting strains of Morriconi's score from 'The
Mission'. I know there is also an excellent play by Shakespeare in there somewhere but it's hard to see.
Having said that I believe our version was great fun and the closest
yet that I have come to performing Shakespeare in full. We staged
it originally to try and be short-listed for a student drama competition, although unfortunately we didn't get through. The organisers did, however, ask us if we
wanted to put it on as a cabaret act for the actual competitors. But as
they wouldn't have been paying us we declined - shame really.
And Finally - Strange, but I can't find one classic line in my text - "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in-for-me!"
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