"Nature teaches beasts to know their friends"

Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler in Coriolanus (2011)

Alan Howard and Irene Worth in The Tragedy of Coriolanus (1984)

Deborah Ayorinde and Sope Dirisu in Chasing the Night (2023)

Dominic West in The Complete Walk: Coriolanus (2016)

James Corrigan

Sope Dirisu

Brandon Dodsworth

A fearless soldier but a reluctant leader, Coriolanus struggles to do what is required for greatness. In this new struggling city state where the gap between rich and poor widens every day, he must decide who he really is.

Angus Jackson

Coriolanus

&quot;Nature teaches beasts to know their friends&quot;

&apos;Coriolanus&apos; is not an easy play to perform or stage, with Coriolanus not being easy to identify with, and dramatically is not as concise or as consistently gripping as other Shakespeare plays. One of Shakespeare&apos;s most compelling and more complex titular characters is one of the main interest points, regardless of whether he is likeable or not (more the latter), as well as it emphasising a class divide that wouldn&apos;t be too out of date today. Likewise with the politics.

While this Royal Shakespeare Company production of &apos;Coriolanus&apos; is not one of the best personally seen, it is still very impressive. The good things are many and most of the good things are actually outstanding. Especially the acting and the character relationships. It is less successful in the action and the production for my tastes didn&apos;t find its footing immediately, though part of the problem is the play itself as the first portion is where it is at its weakest.

Am going to start with the good things. Couldn&apos;t have asked for better performances. Sope Dirisu is electrifying in the title role, it is a fiendishly difficult role but Dirisu shows no signs of being taxed in any scene. In fact, he shows fearlessness in every dimension and emotion the character requires (which is more so than most Shakespearean titular characters). Haydn Gwynne is a major standout too, her Volumnia is stately, an at times intense tigress and at other points incredibly moving. James Corrigan is a very interesting Aufidius in a good way, with his fury being intensely shocking (even when one who knows the play knows it&apos;s coming) and also bringing a refreshing eccentricity that is amusing at times and not overdone. Paul Jesson is both ambitiously fearsome and loyal yet also appropriately egotistical and at times lacking in maturity, which is the complete embodiment of Menenius.

The production also nails the character relationships, presented in a very nuanced way and actually also quite illuminating with touches not seen before in any other production of &apos;Coriolanus&apos;. The mother-son relationship between Coriolanus and Volumnia was seldom more emotional than here and is acted very powerfully, it is the most important relationship in the play to get right and seeing Coriolanus more anguished, eager to please and in fear of disappointing and determined than usual helps make that happen. The other interesting relationship here, in a refreshing slant, is the one between Coriolanus and Aufidius, providing shocking moments such as Aufidius&apos; reaction to Coriolanus&apos; death, Aufidius&apos; admiration for Coriolanus being more prominent than usual and the relationship being almost like a bromance rather than the usual arch-enemies-like one. The already complex characters are portrayed in a faithful way but with details that show them more complex than usual.

Visually, this &apos;Coriolanus&apos; is appealing. This is a Shakespeare play that actually does work better than most of his plays, some having specific time periods and settings meaning that updating would mean being at odds with the text, when updated. Namely because the political and social elements of the play are actually still relevant and true to life today, likewise with the class divide (&apos;Titus Andronicus&apos; is another example for the same reason). The production doesn&apos;t execute this too overtly or overpoweringly, something that was the case with the Ralph Fiennes film. The updating doesn&apos;t look ugly, actually quite handsome and not a mish-mash. The intimacy of the filming is as usual great. Shakespeare&apos;s text is typically wonderful and beautifully delivered.

By all means this &apos;Coriolanus&apos; is not perfect. The early portions did lack urgency at times, the play is very talky to begin with but it felt on the rambling side here.

Was not always enthralled with the action either, which was clumsily choreographed early on and not always cohesive when not yet knowing who is who.

Overall, very, very good and nearly excellent. 8/10.

'Coriolanus' is not an easy play to perform or stage, with Coriolanus not being easy to identify with, and dramatically is not as concise or as consistently gripping as other Shakespeare plays. One of Shakespeare's most compelling and more complex titular characters is one of the main interest points, regardless of whether he is likeable or not (more the latter), as well as it emphasising a class divide that wouldn't be too out of date today. Likewise with the politics.

While this Royal Shakespeare Company production of 'Coriolanus' is not one of the best personally seen, it is still very impressive. The good things are many and most of the good things are actually outstanding. Especially the acting and the character relationships. It is less successful in the action and the production for my tastes didn't find its footing immediately, though part of the problem is the play itself as the first portion is where it is at its weakest.

Am going to start with the good things. Couldn't have asked for better performances. Sope Dirisu is electrifying in the title role, it is a fiendishly difficult role but Dirisu shows no signs of being taxed in any scene. In fact, he shows fearlessness in every dimension and emotion the character requires (which is more so than most Shakespearean titular characters). Haydn Gwynne is a major standout too, her Volumnia is stately, an at times intense tigress and at other points incredibly moving. James Corrigan is a very interesting Aufidius in a good way, with his fury being intensely shocking (even when one who knows the play knows it's coming) and also bringing a refreshing eccentricity that is amusing at times and not overdone. Paul Jesson is both ambitiously fearsome and loyal yet also appropriately egotistical and at times lacking in maturity, which is the complete embodiment of Menenius.

The production also nails the character relationships, presented in a very nuanced way and actually also quite illuminating with touches not seen before in any other production of 'Coriolanus'. The mother-son relationship between Coriolanus and Volumnia was seldom more emotional than here and is acted very powerfully, it is the most important relationship in the play to get right and seeing Coriolanus more anguished, eager to please and in fear of disappointing and determined than usual helps make that happen. The other interesting relationship here, in a refreshing slant, is the one between Coriolanus and Aufidius, providing shocking moments such as Aufidius' reaction to Coriolanus' death, Aufidius' admiration for Coriolanus being more prominent than usual and the relationship being almost like a bromance rather than the usual arch-enemies-like one. The already complex characters are portrayed in a faithful way but with details that show them more complex than usual.

Visually, this 'Coriolanus' is appealing. This is a Shakespeare play that actually does work better than most of his plays, some having specific time periods and settings meaning that updating would mean being at odds with the text, when updated. Namely because the political and social elements of the play are actually still relevant and true to life today, likewise with the class divide ('Titus Andronicus' is another example for the same reason). The production doesn't execute this too overtly or overpoweringly, something that was the case with the Ralph Fiennes film. The updating doesn't look ugly, actually quite handsome and not a mish-mash. The intimacy of the filming is as usual great. Shakespeare's text is typically wonderful and beautifully delivered.

By all means this 'Coriolanus' is not perfect. The early portions did lack urgency at times, the play is very talky to begin with but it felt on the rambling side here.

Was not always enthralled with the action either, which was clumsily choreographed early on and not always cohesive when not yet knowing who is who.

Overall, very, very good and nearly excellent. 8/10.

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