Review by Mark
Ticket was gifted in return for an honest review.
Phyllida Lloyd’s groundbreaking 2012 Donmar Warehouse production of Julius Caesar arrives at The Other Place in Stratford-Upon-Avon at the end of a five-week school tour. Set within the bleak, stark frame of a prison, a group of female inmates presents a razor-sharp, 90-minute abridged version of Shakespeare’s tragedy with a staging that is nothing short of incendiary.
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| Harriet Walter as Brutus and the Company. Photo by Helen Maybanks |
The production was originally researched and performed in prisons in partnership with Clean Break Theatre Company and the York St John University Prison Partnership. This research has led to a powerful telling which adds an extra layer as these prisoners act out the play.
Harriet Walter gives a towering performance as Brutus. Reprising her role, she grounds the production with gravitas, capturing every nuance of a noble senator torn between personal affection and the frantic defense of a fragile republic. Walter is a class act to watch throughout the performance.
As Mark Antony, Leah Harvey delivers an electric performance. Harvey balances the raw emotional intensity with calculated political cunning. Her delivery of the famous "friends, Romans, countrymen" speech carries a clarity that transforms the character's grief into an unstoppable force of fury. Opposite her, Jenny Jules turns in a fiercely compelling Cassius, radiating a restless, strategic brilliance that drives the conspirators' engine from the moment she steps into the light.
As the title character, Jackie Clune is simply outstanding. She brings an extraordinary presence and a commanding urgency to Caesar. Clune captures the gritty reality of the prison walls and also the high-stakes politics of Ancient Rome. Clune plays the role with great authority. Her performance anchors the production's dangerous, unpredictable edge, ensuring that every shift in power feels urgent and deeply personal.
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| Jackie Clune as Julius Caesar. Photo by Helen Maybanks. |
The entire company is excellent at breathing life into the production, bringing pulsating electricity to this world. Shalisha James-Davis brings brilliant versatility, sharply contrasting Portia's grounded, vulnerable urgency with Octavius Caesar's calculating authority. Siân Stephens gives a memorable performance as the Soothsayer. She looms like a terrifying presence; she cycles on a small bike as she forewarns Caesar's impending doom.
Beyond the outstanding performances from the entire company, what makes this production really stand out is the seamless collision between the story and the reality. The prisoners bring their own visceral preoccupations with freedom, state power, and justice to Rome's political landscape. Forget Ancient Rome; this production feels dangerously close to home.
Staged in the intimacy of The Other Place, it helps draw you right in as an audience member. You are right there with the actors, and the whole piece feels grippingly intimate. As a first encounter for teenagers or anyone unfamiliar with Shakespeare, this could start a fire in anyone's heart to fall in love with theatre and the arts.
What makes this Julius Caesar work so well is the grounded and fearless energy. A largely blank stage becomes an arena for an incredible cast to pour everything into every scene. It’s gripping and fiercely performed. This production doesn't just stage a classic; it grabs Rome by the throat and demands you look at the world outside your own front door.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
First Encounters: Julius Caesar runs at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon until Saturday 28th November 2026. For tickets (very limited remaining), visit https://www.rsc.org.uk/first-encounters-julius-caesar-2026/
The press night at The Other Place was followed by a wonderfully insightful panel discussion focusing on 'Can the Arts Save Lives?', led by Jackie Clune. This 30-minute discussion saw members of the panel and the audience answer this statement. The overriding response was simply: yes, it can. A production like this could certainly inspire students and performers alike. The arts have helped many people I know, myself included, and hearing such passionate statements delivered was a really powerful thing. Throughout the run, there will be a series of post-show discussions after performances.
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| Leah Harvey as Mark Antony and the company. Photo by Helen Maybanks |
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