Fiennes 'a young Olivier' as Coriolanus




Isabel Reynolds
Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer
The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo)
October 19, 2000




Akasaka ACT Theater, Tokyo, Oct. 12



In the 10 years since its inception, the Almeida Theatre has injected a dose of high-octane glamour to the London stage, by dint of introducing the likes of Kevin Spacey, Juliette Binoche and Cate Blanchett in various acclaimed productions. Importing celebrities better known for their big screen work is at once a way of attracting an audience that might otherwise steer clear of
straight theater, and of reestablishing stars' credentials as "real"
thespians. The bonus for regular theater-goers is, of course, that most of these people just happen to be superb actors.


The year 1995 saw a master stroke when the Almeida's artistic director, Jonathan Kent, staged a sensational production of Hamlet with Ralph Fiennes in the title role. The same duo came together again as the driving force behind these productions of Coriolanus and Richard II, which have finally reached Tokyo as the last leg of a mammoth run spread across three continents
and nine months. Amazingly, despite a grueling schedule that left the cast with just three days' break between the New York and Tokyo runs, the production of Coriolanus remains compelling--in fact a must-see for any theater fan within striking distance of Tokyo.


The slender Fiennes is cast against type as macho Roman warrior, Coriolanus, who fights fearlessly for his countrymen, but afterward shows such contempt for the ordinary people that they banish him from the city. Infuriated, Coriolanus then joins forces with his former enemies, the Volscians and prepares an all-out attack on his own compatriots, disregarding the fact that
his own friends and family will be among the victims.


Described by fellow cast members variously as "the best actor I have ever worked with" and "like a young Olivier," Fiennes is pretty bloodthirsty when required, and deftly executes a dramatic sword fight with Linus Roache's Aufidius, as choreographed by Bill Hobbs. But he really comes into his own
when spitting contempt at the nonmilitary population of Rome, or interacting with his domineering mother, Volumnia (a truly formidable Barbara Jefford). Those who have seen Schindler's List (1993) know that no one can play arrogance with quite Fiennes' withering intensity.


Roache's Aufidius, general of the Volscian army on the other hand, is something of a thug, but one with an inferiority complex about Coriolanus, whom he lives to fight. Roache, acclaimed for his roles in the films Priest and Wings of a Dove, says he believes Aufidius is the more intelligent character of the two, which is why he is able to exploit his opponent's fatal
single-mindedness to bring about his downfall.


Also notable were the two tribunes, or representatives of the citizens, played by Alan David and Bernard Gallagher in uniforms that make them look like a couple of malevolent British Rail ticket inspectors. Oliver Ford Davies was particularly touching as Coriolanus' friend and father figure, Menenius Agrippa, who risks humiliation to try to dissuade the younger man from exacting revenge on Rome.


One of the undoubted stars of the show when it opened in London was the space in which it was performed--not the modest Almeida Theater itself, but a former film studio once used by the likes of Hitchcock. Kent and Fiennes had the revolutionary idea of adapting the vast building into a new venue just for this production and, according to Roache, "People were thrilled to go somewhere that wasn't a regular theater." The set used for the Tokyo production, on the other hand, was simple, but effective.


A rectangular section of center stage was lit from below, marking out the forum for Coriolanus' triumph and subsequent humiliation at the hands of the citizens of Rome. Running right around the stage was a balcony, creating the sense of orderly city streets when necessary, but also providing a separate
space in which the Volscians appeared during the early part of the play. To the left was a huge gateway, which opened with a roar to admit Coriolanus to the city of Corioles, where he secures his Schwarzenegger-like single-handed victory for the Romans.


Particularly at the beginning of the play, costumes and speech were used to good effect to point up the gulf between the starving plebeians and the wealthy patriarchs, with a touch of 1930s style. The ordinary citizens were in a selection of drab gray and black overcoats and scruffy jackets that brought to mind striking miners. They spoke in regional accents to match. The upper class Romans, on the other hand, were in tailored olive green--in Fiennes' case an ostentatiously sweeping overcoat seemed to add conviction to his contemptuous drawl.


The very success of the production has proved something of a trial for Roache at least, because of the number of famous actors who were to be found in the audiences in London and New York. "That I find very hard," he said. "You know, Kevin Spacey's in, and you keep thinking, 'Will Kevin Spacey like the way I do it?'"


However, Tokyo has posed its own problems for the cast--the audiences here are disturbingly quiet.


Roache commented, "It's been very strange, I can't deny that...But I just keep remembering that the audience are sitting there having simultaneous translation and how difficult that must be. And at the same time really appreciating the fact that they're here...that they're interested."


The other production on this tour, Richard II, opened on Tuesday, featuring Fiennes again, this time in a role a fellow cast member said he was "was born to play." Grab yourself a ticket if you still can.


"Coriolanus" will be staged Oct. 24-27 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 26 and 28 at 1 p.m.
"Richard II" will be performed Oct. 19-21 and 28 at 7 p.m., Oct. 21-22 and 29 at 1 p.m. at Akasaka ACT Theatre, Tokyo. For tickets, call HoriPro Box Office
at (03) 3490-4949.




 

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