Following the success of their open-air production of Julius Caesar, Ad Lib Theatre Company are returning to Shakespeare’s Roman world this November with a gripping candlelit staging of Coriolanus at Newport Minster.
Directed by Si Lynch (Julius Caesar, Hamlet), the company are delighted to be presenting Coriolanus, the story of a famed Roman general who wins a war for Rome and sidesteps into politics – and out of his comfort zone – with disastrous consequences.
Coriolanus is a man loved by the army and by the elite, but hated by the general public, so when the Tribunes – the people’s voices in the Senate – see an opportunity to have him ousted from his new position of power, they seize it with both hands. What follows is a story of betrayal on many fronts, of hate, of love, of pride, of friendship, of envy, and above all else…of humanity and its flaws.
One of Shakespeare’s later plays, this version has been abridged to hold onto the spirit, rhythm and flow of the original but with an increased focus on the intensity of both action and emotion as Coriolanus battles with what it means to be human – what it means to be a leader – and grapples with the price of pride…and the impact of the subsequent fall.
Against the backdrop of the historic Newport Minster, and with a cast of Island talent, action-packed fight choreography, fantastic costumes, music composed especially for the show, and above all a gripping story, this production is set to be well and truly memorable.
The show runs on 28th and 29th November at 19:00, and on 30th November at 16:30, with tickets priced at just £10 for adults and £8 for students, frozen for the third year running in Ad Lib’s mission to keep Shakespeare accessible and enjoyable for all – just as the Bard himself intended.
Tickets are available to book from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ad-lib-theatre.
Maureen Sullivan is a regular contributor to Island Echo’s coverage of the Arts on the Isle of Wight. Maureen has been actively involved in the Island’s amateur dramatics scene for several years, appearing in many different roles and guises with several theatre companies. In her free time, Maureen also writes and reviews at iwtheatre.org.
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