Coriolanus
Catalogue Number: SSFC12
Producer: Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada
Subject: Arts, Civics, Drama, English, Health and Medicine, History, Literature, Music, Politics, World History
Language: English
Grade Level: 9 - 12, Post Secondary, Adult
Country Of Origin: Canada
Copyright Year: 2019
Running Time: 149:18
Although renowned as a fearless military leader, Caius Martius is unpopular among the plebeians, the common people of Rome, who resent his arrogance and equate him with the patrician elite whom they believe to be responsible for the current food shortage. Martius in turn despises the plebeians as cowardly, fickle and untrustworthy. For his extraordinary heroism in defeating the Volsces, enemies of Rome, and capturing the Volscian city of Corioles, Martius is honoured with the name of Coriolanus; he is also prevailed upon by his friends, and by his strong-willed mother, to run for consul, Rome’s highest public office. But the warrior is no politician – and he faces unaccustomed enemies in the form of two tribunes of the people, Sicinius Velutus and Junius Brutus, who fan the flames of populism against him, with catastrophic results.
See Robert Lepage's breathtaking production that explores the age-old tensions that still tear at the heart of democracy. There's one visual surprise after another in this fast paced show.
Gunshots and e-cigarettes are used in this production.
Toronto Star - “director Robert Lepage’s revisioning brilliantly brings into the present” “Rarely has Lepage’s reputation as a cinematic theatremaker been more earned” “Stratford made it happen, and thousands of spectators from Ontario and beyond will now get their first taste of Lepage’s special brand of stage magic.”
Globe and Mail - “4 out of 4 stars” “Robert Lepage’s Coriolanus is the show of the decade at the Stratford Festival” “Coriolanus is a landmark production for the Stratford Festival.” “you’ve got to see it” “a clear and cinematic version that’s riveting, invigorating and smart.” “Lepage stages this play as if it were a blockbuster movie with his team of technical wizards” “the true surprise of Mr. Lepage’s production is that so many of the performances send shivers down the spine – and it was them I ended raving about afterwards. He’s brought out career-high turns from this troupe of Stratford actors.” “(Andre) Sills is sensational” “Lucy Peacock… had me on the edge of my seat” “unforgettable performance from (Graham) Abbey” “This is one you have to see it in person to truly appreciate – and more than any other I’ve seen at the Stratford Festival over the past decade, it’s worth the trip, down the highway, across the country or, indeed, around the world.”
Postmedia - “a visually stunning theatrical experience” “becomes clear why director and designer Robert Lepage is globally acclaimed for his theatrical innovations” “a stunning visual marriage of classic literature and modernistic technique” “a stellar company, boasting the likes of seasoned veteran actors Graham Abbey, Lucy Peacock, Tom McCamus, Stephen Ouimette, Tom Rooney and the ferociously riveting André Sills, can meet, and even at times surpass, the director’s gloriously inventive approach” “taste the pleasures of live performances” “An entrancing modern adaptation courtesy of a bold and daring director collaborating with a skilled star-studded acting company, Coriolanus merits critical and public recognition” “a major hit for the Stratford Festival that will whet the appetites of old and new theatre-goers alike”
Broadway World - “Spectacular Production” “Must Not Be Missed” “this production looks and feels nothing short of epic” “André Sills is fantastic” “this is a production at the Stratford Festival that you must not miss”
Now Magazine - “5 out of 5 stars ” “a thrilling and psychologically rich experience” “masterful” “electric world premiere” “technically dazzling production” “Don’t miss one of the best shows of the year”
Capital Critics Circle - “ASTONISHING”“result is riveting”“an engrossing evening of theatre”“again and again, a strong narrative line is punctuated by moments that astonish”“one of the summer’s must-see shows”
The New York Times“riveting Stratford production”“jaw-dropping”“thrilling stagecraft”
Chicago Tribune“dazzlingly precise”“the greatest contemporary staging of this play that I ever have seen”“a heart-stopping narrative”
The New York Times - “riveting Stratford production”“jaw-dropping”“thrilling stagecraft”
Chicago Tribune - “dazzlingly precise”“the greatest contemporary staging of this play that I ever have seen”“a heart-stopping narrative”
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