Review – Caesar: something unique and entertaining
By Nahima Kern
Caesar
Written by Claire Christian, Jean Tong, Megan Wilding, Merlynn Tong, and Zoey Dawson
Directed by Sanja Simić
La Boite
QUT Kelvin Grove
Brisbane
Season runs until August 7. Duration 90 minutes without interval. Bookings: https://laboite.com.au/shows/caesar-mainstage
If you’re looking for a nice relaxing night out at the theatre enjoying some Shakespeare at La Boite, think again.
Caesar, written by five powerhouse female and non-binary-identifying playwrights, is not your parent’s Shakespeare. Nor, for that matter, is it like any Shakespeare before. Directed by Sanja Simić and performed by five brilliant in-their-own-right actors, Caesar cuts deep with razor sharp wit and self-awareness.
With each act written by a different person, the play became seamlessly woven together in five acts and brought to the audience something funny, light, and, at 90 minutes, something much shorter than your average Bardic tale.
The playwrights, Claire Christian, Jean Tong, Megan Wilding, Merlynn Tong, and Zoey Dawson brought together Bryan Proberts, Billy Fogarty, Chenoa Deemal, Giema Contini, and Will Carseldine playing seemingly exaggerated versions of themselves as they prepare to put on a production of Shakespeare’s Caesar, at La Boite.
For those hungering for traditional Elizabethan language and intonation, you may be disappointed, but there are moments during ‘rehearsal’ where the audience is treated to well-timed Shakespearean language. When interwoven with modern English these moments truly sing.
the point of the play is not to enjoy a traditional Shakespeare but to see it in an entirely meta way. The audience was invited to question its themes, the way these shows are typically cast, and the token way important matters are spoken about.
This show moved in the spirit of the Bard but put modern, funny, and touching spins to his name. To some, this might seem like something completely different from traditional Shakespeare but there are still elements that linger on within the writing that drew the audience to something new and fresh.
This version of Caesar was thoroughly enjoyable as something all on its own. It did not pretend to be anything other than something unique and entertaining, perhaps like Shakespeare was when it was first produced. So, give this a go, you won’t be disappointed in Caesar, there is something for every lover of the original.