Julius Caesar @ the Lyric

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David Farr’s opening show as the new Artistic Director

2 September - 15 October
Julius Caesar
By William Shakespeare
By arrangement with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Directed by David Farr
Press night 7 September

David Farr’s opening show as the new Artistic Director at Lyric Hammersmith is a restaging of his Royal Shakespeare Company production of Julius Caesar. It typifies the approach that David will be bringing to his stewardship of the Lyric - a determination to produce classic stories in an exciting and innovative way that appeal to as broad an audience as possible. This is the first opportunity for London audiences to see this 21-strong production of Julius Caesar that has already been a huge success around the UK and in the USA.

Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director, Michael Boyd who is a great admirer of David’s work, said: “I am very proud of this vivid, muscular and imaginative production by David Farr and delighted that at the start of his artistic directorship we are reaffirming our relationship with the Lyric Hammersmith”.

At the beginning of the play the long-established Roman republic is in crisis. If Caesar is not stopped democracy will be destroyed. But are the men who try to stop him acting out of duty or personal ambition? And what happens once the knife has gone in? Chaos and civil war.

When Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar it was as a contemporary account of the turmoil of 44BC - fifteenth century clocks strike, there are references to night-watchmen patrolling, and they wear doublets, rather than togas. Just as the play spoke to Elizabethan audiences when first performed in 1599, it speaks to us today. David Farr’s modern dress account is set in an emerging and fragile democracy that resonates with today’s conflicts in the ex-Soviet republics. It tackles universal questions. Should political power be concentrated in a single leader? And, can we trust politicians to serve the people rather than their own interests?

David Farr was previously Joint Artistic Director at Bristol Old Vic from 2003 to 2005 and Artistic Director of The Gate Theatre in London from 1995 to 1998. His work has constantly explored the relationship between classic story-telling and the contemporary audience with radical adaptations including The UN Inspector for The National Theatre, several acclaimed Shakespeare productions for Bristol Old Vic, and the award-winning production of Coriolanus with Greg Hicks for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The desire to make classic stories resonate with a broad modern audience is key to his work.

Performance Schedule:
Evenings: 2 September - 15 October 7.30pm (not 12 September, no Sunday performances)
Midweek matinees: 15, 20 & 28 September 1pm; 6 & 12 October 1pm
Saturday matinees: 1, 8 & 15 October 2.30pm
Meet the Company: 19 September, meet the actors and artists for questions after the show
Open captioned performance: 13 October 7.30pm

Ticket Prices:
£1 off all tickets bought online before 2 September
Adults £12, £16, £20 & £25
£9 Nights - all tickets £9 on 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 & 19 September
Under 16s £10
Family ticket £42 for 4 seats (min 1 child and must be booked before 2 September)
Concessions £10 (limited performances)
16 - 25s and students £6 (limited performances)

 

August 14, 2005