Coriolanus is Shakespeare's last tragedy and fourth of his Roman plays. Donmar's adaptation directed by Josie Rourke has truly stellar cast including: Tom Hiddleston, Mark Gatiss, Hadley Fraser and Deborah Findlay. Because of this it's completely sod out, getting tickets requires incredible luck (Barclays Front Row tickets released every Monday) or paying arm and leg on one of the ticket trading websites, I payed and I do not regret it, seeing this marvelous production was worth every penny (I got ticket for the evening of the 1st day of 2014, my seat was right beside the stage giving a fantastic view of the performance).
Acting of all the cast was superb, but it was Tom Hiddleston (Coriolanus) and Deborah Findlay (Volumnia - mother of Coriolanus) who kept me mesmerized. Tom Hiddleston commands the stage with passion and purpose, giving a fantastic performance as Coriolanus a man consumed by pride and obsessed with honor, but it is when you see his mother you know exactly where it all came from, Deborah Findlay's Volumnia has the voice and presence that makes you shiver, no wonder Coriolanus can't refuse her demands, this is a woman who would rather see her only child dead than dishonored and yet in the final scenes (pleading with her son for the sake of Rome) she shows true feeling and vulnerability. Mark Gatiss does a great job too, his Menenius is a warm, moving and witty voice of reason to gentle to get through, ultimately rejected, heartbroken and cast away.
The set is really minimalistic but very suggestive (Donmar is a very intimate theatre with 250 seats).
Special effects were adding to the grimness and brutality of the play, swords were clashing, smoke, soil and dust filled the air, rose petals were falling and blood was spilling on the floor.
Underneath it all Coriolanus is a play about the way politics and power work, about the price you have to pay for staying true to your values (whatever they might be) and not flattering the masses to gain popularity.
Coriolanus will be broadcasted by National Theatre Live in cinemas on 30th of January 2014.
http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ntlout5-coriolanus
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