Watchlist: March into May

Titus Andronicus at the RSC Swan, Stratford

I went to the theatre last week to see the latest production of Shakespeare’s bloodiest play – and it lived up to its name! Starring Simon Russell Beale in the title role, with Emma Fielding as Marcia, his sister, (gender-swapped from Marcellus). We had seats in the front of the first gallery, which had spectacular views, but poor leg room (the row behind was better in that respect).

Max Webster (who directed the David Tennant / Cush Jumbo Macbeth recently) directed the blood-soaked tragedy in a modern dress interpretation. Wendy Kweh was a nasty piece of work as Tamora, Queen of the Goths manipulating the creepy Saturninus played by Joshua James. Meanwhile, Natey Jones as Aaron grooms her two sons to rape and mutilate Titus’s daughter Lavinia, while pleading for his baby son’s life later. Letty Thomas as Lavinia was heartbreaking.

Much has been made about the front stalls rows being given blankets in case of splashbacks from the blood – and many took up the offer – even with the perspex guards in place around the grille edging the stage. Lavinia’s torture and mutilation happens off stage, but shortly before the interval, we had the first big blood-letting – involving clever effects – leaving a huge puddle on the white marble stage. A team of four crew washed the stage throughly during the interval – only for it to be covered again of course when the major bloodletting occurred in the second half with some wonderfully choreographed bloodwork – I shall say no more on that.

Fielding, whose voice is sublime, was superb throughout, sporting a rather Miranda Priestly style white bob. Simon Russell Beale, however, took a little while to get going – as with many Shakespeare plays, the initial scene-setting politics is rather dull by comparison with the rest. Once the bloodletting started he warmed up and was superb for the rest of the play, making Titus very human. A bonus was some glorious singing from the BBC’s Young Chorister of the Year on our night, playing young Lucius.

It’s only on until June 7 – Go if you dare!

On the small screen…

The best of my TV viewing is concentrated on four shows at the moment, two of which star Jon Hamm.

Yes, I’m rewatching Mad Men on Netflix again (for the third time) – it’s maybe my favourite series ever, such is the appeal of the 50s/60s advertising world to me. But I am also enjoying his latest:

Your Friends & Neighbors (appleTV+)

Follows sacked hedge-fund manager Andrew ‘Coop’ Cooper as he descends into a life of crime – stealing posh watches etc from his friends and neighbors. His ex-wife got his big house where lives with her new partner, a basketball star, and their two children. Coop can’t resist revisiting his old friends parties where he gets the idea. The first episode begins with him waking up beside a corpse though, before going back to build up the picture of how he got into that situation. Hamm is great in this dark comedy and six episodes in, it’s really getting complex.

The Studio (appleTV+)

This is a clever satire on Hollywood that moves at breakneck speed – like the West Wing you have to stay with it. Seth Rogen is the producer Matt Remick who picks up the poison chalice of being studio head and he’s very good at mucking things up. He’s surrounded by an entourage who are all out for their own good, plus Catherine O’Hara, as Patti – who used to do his new job. Each episode has a major guest star and it begins with one of the biggest in Martin Scorsese! Although it’s very good, I’ve decided I’m not a Rogen fan – he’s too loud, and has this cough/laugh that’s really irritating, ‘heh, heh’.

Mobland (Paramount+)

Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren are Conrad and Maeve Harrigan, who rule a London Irish crime family from their heavily guarded estate in the Cotswolds. Both lay the accent on thick, and the language is ripe with expletives. Tom Hardy is Harry de Souza, their fixer, a quietly spoken yet very persuasive man! When their grandson Eddie, manages to kill the son of Richie Stevenson, rival London gang boss, a war is started, and Harry has to be the gobetween. I won’t say more, but it’s great fun, although it’s cheesy, full of stereotypes and those dodgy accents. Tom Hardy excels, and Brosnan and and Mirren obviously had too much fun making the Richard Osman film, so are doing it again with added swearing.

What have you been watching lately?