Chiten Theatre Company: Coriolanus by William Shakespeare

Constant strife exists between the powerful aristocracy and the hungry citizens of Rome. Many in the city yearn for peace but influential politicians know that their positions at home are secured by military campaigns abroad. Into this ferment strides the inflexible patrician general Caius Martius, fresh from his victory over the hated Volscians.

 

Coriolanus is Shakespeare’s greatest political play. The competing claims of democracy and aristocracy are conveyed in harsh and stony language and with relentless speed and single-mindedness. At its heart, however, there unfolds a personal tragedy of one man’s emotional blindness.

 

This renowned company from Kyoto works under the direction of one of Japan’s most imaginative artists, Motoi Miura. Known for its minimalist vision, this company produces an expressive theatre rooted in the exploration of words, sound and the human body.   Celebrated for their work on Chekhov, which has proved highly successful in Russia, they are now bringing Shakespeare back home to England for the first time.

 

Performed in Japanese.

 

Admission: £5 - £35