In his first ever acting role, comedian Andrew Maxwell takes on Shakespeare. Well, sort of. He might begin by declaiming lines from the bard, but most of the performance is in modern vernacular, reducing the play to its essential elements. Maxwell switches back and forth between narration and commentary, and acting out well over a dozen characters - Caesar, Brutus, Calpurnia, the soothsayer, members of the common herd, he does the lot. Not only giving the storyline of the play, but clearly alluding to some modern day comparisons.
It's high energy stuff, Maxwell whipping up the audience into participating, creating an atmosphere that is involving, celebratory, hysterical. Owen McCafferty has written a sharp script, leaving plenty of room for Maxwell's comic talents to shine, and space for him to improvise. You could watch this show several times and constantly find something new, something different - the real joy of live performance. And Maxwell proves he can do serious when it's needed, with a real sense of horror at times, despite the story being so well known.
In scenes showing how easily the public mob can be swayed by cheap rhetoric, and that political leaders and their promises have always been empty, there are clear parallels with the brexshit farago, and Maxwell winkingly makes the point clear for anyone in doubt. It might not meet with the approval of diehard traditionalists, but this is, perhaps, the perfect version of Shakespeare for our times. Accessible, relevant, compellingly entertaining whilst exposing human darkness. A tremendous achievement, and Andrew Maxwell is the perfect man to perform it.
This was the final Fringe performance of Julius 'Call Me Caesar' Caesar.
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