This integrated approach to the classical features of the original text is missing in Lloyd’s production, which instead opts to portray a completely modern take on Julius Caesar.Īlthough the production doesn’t stray from the play’s negligible number of female characters, Lloyd’s decision to cast female actors of all races is a fantastic one and should’ve been undertaken sooner. In that 1996 adaptation, there remained a prominent sense of the Shakespearean aesthetic with a blended inclusion of contemporary references. We’ve all seen Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on Shakespeare in Romeo + Juliet. The fact that the creation of the production had shared input from real-life prisoners grants a level of authenticity to the performance. With an all-female cast, set in a women’s prison where the prisoners themselves are performing the play, this is an interpretation we’ve definitely never seen before. Its approach to Shakespeare’s classic work is impressively original and should be applauded.

It’s also no surprise that this production was selected to appear at the 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival years after its inception and was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film. That’s why it’s frankly no surprise that his work has yet again been reinvented to satisfy the needs of a feminist audience.

Writers and directors are always looking for fresh, contemporary takes on the most adapted author of all time. It’s a vast understatement to say that Shakespeare has successfully shaped the literary world countless literature references his writings in some way or another, and there’s no end in sight of movies based off his work.

Shakespeare’s Henry IV and The Tempest follow this production, each with their own unique interpretation. This 2012 Donmar Warehouse production is the first in an all-female Shakespeare trilogy performed at Donmar King’s Cross in London. If you’re familiar with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, you may be expecting a group of men to storm on, but director Phyllida Lloyd has something entirely different in store. The metaphorical curtain opens on a barren space with a spotlight focused centre stage. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

Julius cesar costume