The recent news of Tom Hiddleston being nominated for a London Evening Standard award brought back fond memories of my time in London over the New Year. Me and an old college friend decided to book a spontaneous trip down to London and she managed to secure us tickets to see Hiddleston in Coriolanus on New Year’s Eve. It definitely beat battling the crowds on the Thames riverbank to see the firework display. We were lucky to secure the ten pound tickets (which is definitely a bargain compared to some London theatre prices) and have a good view. That is the excellent thing about the Donmar Warehouse; you have a good view wherever you sit and the actors are so close. You can see the sweat on their brow, the spit on their lip and the contortions of their face. There were minimum props, only a stage with a graffiti covered wall and a tall ladder down the centre. This worked well as you merely focused your attention on the actors acting and definite applaud goes to director Josie Rourke for this.
I’m no Shakespeare expert. I know the basics, like Romeo and Juliet both end up dying due to some terrible miscommunication . I’d never even heard Coriolanus. I did have the good sense to Google it before we set off in pursuit of the Donmar and the plot is fairly comprehensible (Thanks Wikipedia) and easy to understand. Basically, Coriolanus is Rome’s military hero who returns wounded from battle, but his warm return is misplaced due to Rome’s famine. Coriolanus’s failure to deal with the citizens’ misery only turns them against him and he is exiled. From there he does all he can to become a vengeful soldier and extract his revenge against the people he believed to have wronged him. Simple, right?
Poster on my door which is a constant reminder of my best NYE
So what made Coriolanus a masterpiece? Needless to say Hiddleston acted the role with pure conviction, proving that he can do more than blockbuster films. It was very weird to sit so close to such a famous person and keep quiet. Although my friend and I did make some sighing and swooning noises. And yes, we are tragic. But there were multiple other recognisable faces. Mark Gatiss of Sherlock fame made an appearance as Menenius, a comical role which often caused laughs from the audience. And then there was Borgen’s Bigitte Hjort who had a smaller role as Coriolanus’s wife. But for me the best relationship came in the form of a mother and son relationship. Debora Findlay plays Volumnia, Coriolanus’s mother, and the acting between her and Hiddleston was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Although I do cry at nearly everything.
It was such a good show that I went to watch it when it was broadcoast in the cinema. I saw it twice, although the cinema trip cost more than the actual theatre trip! I missed the intimacy of the Donmar, but the acting was just how I had remembered it. I haven’t turned into a Shakespeare fan, but I wouldn’t hesitate to see another one of his plays. My next theatre trip was Mamma Mia! which was a bit different, but just as enjoyable. I sincerely hope Hiddleston takes to the stage again, and I hope we’re lucky enough to get tickets!
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