Coriolanus at the National Theatre

Now showing at the National Theatre, William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, directed by Lyndsey Turner, is a strange but satisfying retelling of a soldier’s rise to power and even quicker fall from grace. David Oyelowo is fantastic as the mighty Roman soldier, knowing just when to bring the emotion and when to reel it in.

Even the masterful set design by Es Devlin, bringing together the old and the new can’t distract from the fact that the costumes and the projections designed by Ash J Woodward make the production feel too far in the future. An interesting take by Turner, it can work with the play’s themes: war, social class and masculinity, to name a few. It is reminiscent of The Hunger Games, like the broadcasts of President Snow played to the 12 districts, but somehow, it works. But if you are someone who prefers a more traditional approach to Shakespeare, then this adaptation is not the one for you.

Oyelowo’s acting chops are the standout of the play and, he manages to ace every line he delivers with passion, anguish and turmoil, emotions which his character, Caius Marcius Coriolanus, struggles with on his revenge quest to destroy Rome. Alongside Oyelowo, there are fantastic performances by Pamela Nomvete as Volumnia and John Vernon as Menenius, who do not get the credit they deserve. The better scenes come from when Meneius and Coriolanus interact as Meneius tries to reason with his fallen comrade.

Generally, a spark is missing from the production. The combat scenes between Oyelowo and rival general Aufidius Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are great, as is the fighting between the background soldiers. However, where it counts, the best drama comes from Oyelowo alone, as Coriolanus’s relationships with his mother, wife and child do not feel meaningful at all, especially when the ladies kneel to shame Coriolanus. It is supposed to be the scene where he sees the error of his ways and wrongdoings, but it feels overdone and lacklustre.

Drama aside, the aesthetics of the production bring everything together. The flashing lights by Tim Lutkin, and booming and intense musical elements by Angus MacRae, give Coriolanus a new lease of life in a 21^st-century setting. If Turner’s mission was to bring Coriolanus into the modern day to attract a new audience, then she did succeed; there’s is no denying that this adaptation is an amalgam of the traditional and contemporary, brought to life by a gorgeous set, mesmerising military gear and one Hollywood star.

Sophie Humphrey
Photos: Misan Harriman

Coriolanus is at the National Theatre from 24^th September until 9^th November 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Coriolanus at the National Theatre here: