The RSC’s “Titus Andronicus” has moments of great tension, powerful performances and incredible violence, yet on the whole feels a little empty and underwhelming. Under the direction of Max Webster (who recently directed Donmar Warehouse’s Macbeth with Tennant and Jumbo), the gratuitous gore on display contrasts with characters that are bland and difficult to root for. Technically, this is a fantastic achievement – the RSC’s Swan stage has been transformed to incorporate a pulley system above the stage, and a drainage system around it, allowing for maximum bloodshed in some of the most devastating ways. Where the play struggles is in its characters and storytelling, making the production too pedestrian compared to the RSC’s usual standards.
In the title role, Simon Russell Beale’s Titus is on-the-whole calm and measured, delivering some excellent sarcastic wit and dry comedic outbursts, offering some nice lighter moments amidst the gloomy plot. It is his relationship with his daughter Lavinia (Letty Thomas) that is one of the great successes of this production – the two of them share a great chemistry together, laughing in the face of misery, whilst maintaining an undercurrent of sadness and hopelessness throughout. Thomas’s Lavinia is strong and independent, overshadowing Ned Costello’s Bassianus in the earlier scenes, which makes her downfall later even more shocking and frightening, as she is attacked, raped and mutilated. Throughout the play, the tension ramps up, as Titus constantly finds himself tricked and taunted by the Goths. His final “victory” should feel like a moment of triumph, and yet Beale never fully achieves a punch-the-air moment – the play is far too disturbing and depressing, and Beale’s Titus is not granted the outburst the audience have been looking forward to. In spite of the violence, his killing of Chiron and Demetrius (Marlowe Chan-Reeves and Jeremy Ang Jones) is endured rather than enjoyed. This is a Titus that does not revel in murder and revenge, but rather feels compelled to seek it.
The opening moments of the play sees the election of Saturninus (Joshua James) as Rome’s new emperor, in a scene that introduces us to many characters all dressed in similar dark grey colours, which could become confusing for those new to the play. James’s Saturninus is smarmy turned up to eleven, his relationship with Tamora (Wendy Kweh) enough to make one shudder. When he is reduced to a snivelling wreck by the final scenes, it is incredibly satisfying, although it is all played so far upstage and blocked by other action that it is difficult to fully appreciate James’s performance. In fact, blocking is an issue throughout this production – actors continually stand in front of each other and have their backs to the audience, and the show feels like it struggles to make the best use of the theatre’s thrust stage. Different moments are blocked from view for different audience members (from where I was sitting, the deaths of Chiron and Demetrius were completely masked, whereas members on the other side of the stalls had a perfect view – on the other hand, I was granted a good view of the murder of Tamora’s maid, which would have been difficult to appreciate from the sides of the theatre), meaning that the best views for this production may be found in the gallery rather than the stalls.
As Queen of the Goths, Kweh struggles to come across as the menace that we want her to be – she makes threats, and indeed carries them out, yet her performance is not particularly threatening or intimidating. Her relationship with sons Chiron and Demetrius is distant and her affair with Aaron (Natey Jones) is scarcely seen. Chan-Reeves and J.A. Jones make Chiron and Demetrius immature and pathetic, a move that suits the characters and is well-realised against Thomas’s much more grown-up Lavinia. However, the standout performance comes from Natey Jones as Aaron, who carefully builds on his performance throughout, making his final outburst after being caught by Joel MacCormack’s Lucius feel earned as he admits “I have done a thousand dreadful things as willingly as one would kill a fly”. It is Aaron who poses the greatest danger to the Andronicus family, and N. Jones more than lives up to this idea, presenting a character that is in equal measure in control and undeniably unhinged.
The set throughout is fairly scarce, the action taking place in fairly bland surroundings. Joanna Scotcher’s set design fills the stage with blank, white concrete, whilst tables and benches are also white and featureless – all the better to be stained with blood. Lee Curran’s lighting designed is harsh and bright, again helping to highlight the violence. This appears to be a production with one aim in mind – to thrill and shock the audience with levels of bloodshed that is enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs. In that, the play is successful – one can only pity the RSC’s costume department, which must be working overtime in the laundry after each performance. Audience members in the front rows of the stalls are given blankets to protect their own clothing – and yes, they are indeed necessary.
This is Titus for the Game of Thrones generation, and if you come looking for violence, you will not be disappointed. Where the disappointment may lie, however, is in a production that lacks heart, where characters partake in actions because they have to rather than want to. There are no winners here – everything is bleak. Maybe that’s the point.
Tom Morley, May 2025
For more information on how I decide on star ratings, see here: Star ratings – Broken Legs Blog
Review Round-up:
The Telegraph: Shakespeare’s most visceral play reborn as a beautiful, blood-soaked nightmare – An incredible 5-star review from The Telegraph, who summarise by saying the play gives the audience “much to chew on, and heaps to applaud, but not for the easily queasy”.
The Guardian: Simon Russell Beale is sublime amid epic horrors – 4 stars from The Guardian, who echo my similar complaints about blocking: “Occasionally, in the first half, there were poor sight lines with actors blocking the central scene. But in all, this is an awesome production.“
Elemental Theatre: Titus Andronicus – RSC – Review – 3 stars from ETC, who state that “while its innovative elements and strong performances elevate the production, certain staging choices and character portrayals prevent it from achieving its full potential”.
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