International Arts News: Grotesquely violent Shakespeare play which caused dozens to faint goes to cinema Titus Andronicus, which caused more than 100 people to faint or leave during its theatre run, is to be shown in cinemas across the world - The Telegraph (10-12-2014) telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11286318/Grotesquely-violent-Shakespeare-play-which-caused-dozens-to-faint-goes-to-cinema.html By Hannah Furness The Shakespeare’s Globe production of Titus Andronicus, which was so bloody it caused more than 100 audience members to faint or leave during its theatre run, is to go global as it is screened in cinemas across the world. The play, described as “grotesquely violent”, sees 14 deaths, brutal rape scenes, mutilation and cannibalism in scenes which caused dozens of theatre-goers to faint. After its theatre run, in which medics were on high alert, the blood and gore of Titus Andronicus will now be shared with members of the public across the world as part of Globe on Screen. It will be one of five productions to go into cinemas across the UK, Europe, North America and Australasia, joining the Duchess of Malfi, Julius Caeser, Antony and Cleopatra and The Comedy of Errors. The Duchess of Malfi, starring former Bond girl Gemma Arterton, will lead the way with screenings on February 26, after an acclaimed broadcast on BBC Four earlier this year. It will be followed on March 26 by Titus Andronicus, giving cinema first-aiders plenty of time to prepare. The play, a revival of Lucy Bailey’s 2006 production, has been publicised with a warning that it is “grotesquely violent and daringly experimental”, with a “terrible cycle of mutilation, rape and murder”. Members of the audience reported fainting during the play’s most violent scenes, with others feeling sick and warning of sleepless nights. The play’s most famous scene sees Titus murder the sons of his rival Tamora, Queen of the Goths, later feeding their remains to her in a pie. It will be balanced out later in 2015 by Dominic Dromgoole’s sell-out envisioning of Roman classic Julius Caesar, the struggle between love and duty in Antony & Cleopatra, and The Comedy of Errors. Arterton, one of the new season’s stars, has previously spoken about the difficulties of filming live shows, which has become increasingly popular in recent years and a welcome source of revenue for theatres. Earlier this year, she said: “To be quite honest, I don’t really believe in filming theatre, that’s not what it’s about. I felt quite uncomfortable about the fact they were filming it at first – it’s theatre, you’re not performing it for the cameras.”
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 04:16:59 +0000
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