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Foreign Drama . . .

Shakespeare in a New Light

Ngaio Marsh, the producer, achieved the Elizabethan aspect by returning to two conventions of the Elizabethan playhouse—the apron stage and contemporary costume. "Julius Caesar" was of course, written to be played to a three-sided audience, and to reproduce these conditions the hall was turned into an [unclear: amphitheatre] with tiers of seals rising steeply from three sides of the stage. The effect of this was to project the action into the audience and to give a strongly three-dimensional impression, especially in the forum scenes where the crowd actually mingled with the audience.

Such a play as "Julius Caesar," written with complete disregard for the classical unities of time and space and for a stage which made no attempt at realistic settings, is hampered rather than elucidated by the elaborate modern stage with its complicated decor and scene changes, so that a return to the simplicity of Elizabethan settings was also most effective. The stage at Canterbury was made up of different levels and angles and sharply ascending flights of steps, and in the centre was a high spiral structure that revolved on its base, nerving sometimes for a portico, sometimes for an orator's rostrum and sometimes for a general's tent. The rest of the decor consisted simply of a statue of Pompey and a backdrop suggesting buildings of no particular epoch. This simplicity allowed the play to develop in clear, strong lines, action succeeding action without interruption. Only one interval was necessary and that as a mere breathing space.

Another advantage of so simple a setting was that the play took on an extraordinarily universal significance, a symbolic truth applicable to any age or country. Thus effect was helped by the contemporary dress which was once again suggested rather than definite, in Shakespeare's day, of course, the actors wore Elizabethan costume with a few classical touches suggested. The actors of Ngalo Marsh's production wore modern clothes that had some reference to modern Italy. For example, the conspirators wore grey uniforms that were suggestive of Fascism, which, incidentally, brought out the reference the play has to recent events in Italy. But the uniforms were so skilfully designed that it didn't seem incongruous that they should be worn with swords.

Under such circumstances the action of the play could be produced as the author over intended it to be, in impressive strong strokes, symbolic rather than realistic. The best example of this is the battle scenes. The impressiveness was due to the artistic simplicity of the treatment. The dim light, the battle music (written by the C.U.C. music professor), the standards of the opposing armies crossed and uncrossed by the standard bearers at the top of the spiral until at last Brutus' standard crashed down, the whole scene, which, in a realistic production would present many difficulties, was rendered by this symbolic treatment really breath-taking—as should be the momenta when the course of history is decided. In fact the few weaker momenta of the play occurred when this symbolistic treatment was abandoned, as in the scene where the conspirators dip their hands in Caesar's blood. And it was responsible for what I have described as a Acteauesque effect. Ngaio Marsh skilfully disengaged from what could have been treated as a straight historical drama a number of overtones that wove themselves into a vague but highly suggestive melody, half-submerged and in a minor key. These overtones are present in the Written play but were very much played up in the production—the auguries, the dreams, the restless spirit of Caesar, and especially the figure of Artemodorus, the soothsayer, who wandered like a black-cloaked destiny through the play. An especially brilliant touch was at the end of Anthony's speech over the body of Caesar. Artemodorus appeared at the top of the spiral and cast away his cards which fluttered down over the howling crowd—"les Jeux son faits."

To sum up, the production seemed to me to select the best of two dramatic techniques—the Elizabethan and the "ultra-modem." The simplicity of one and the suggestiveness of the other combined to give the play perfect lucidity, clearness of outline, and strong emotional force, and at the same time a disconcerting and timeless significance.

—A.G.T.