I have no information on what director Jez Pike was taking when he dreamed up this production, but give me a double dose of it! When (as this programme pronounces) we are promised a ‘contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s play’ I get a strong compunction to leave my seat and run for the door before the curtain rises, but tonight in the Barn I was already drawn in and intrigued by the electropop soundtrack and the matching computer visuals being projected overhead. I am very glad I stayed.

Shakespearean dialogue is notably densely packed with many layers of meaning, yet this production allows us to follow the narrative even given the rather staccato quick fire scene changes. We are given a cast of strong characters almost every one of which could be mapped on the individuals who dominate our contemporary political news. Caius Martius is a charismatic if rather arrogant Roman general played with appropriate gusto by Hans-Christian Harder. He leads his troops against the Volscian army conquering their city of Corioli, leading to his later agnomen of Coriolanus. His battle is personal as well as political, as he confronts his old adversary Aufidius, played with some panache by director Jez Pike as a very last minute stand-in.

Returning in triumph to Rome Caius Martius is given a hero’s welcome, but resists an invitation to talk to the masses in the market place. He is widely blamed for causing a grain shortage because of his military adventuring. His ally Menenius (Nick Bodger) schmoozes him into it, and he is offered honours in the city. His meeting the people bit does not go so well.

The plebeians are represented in government by tribunes Sicinia (Nikhila Mahadevan) and Brutus (John Dane) whose populism brings to mind the contemporary if spasmodic double act of Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn, a brilliant bit of witty casting. The tribunes remind us of the power of populist rhetoric, and when Caius Martius is urged by his mother Volumnia (Jenny Anderson) to run for the office of Consul they torpedo the process. His reaction to the tribunes’ move gets him banished from Rome.

The second half sees Caius Martius unexpectedly laying himself before Aufidius, his old enemy. They soon form common cause to sack Rome, and the drama takes a new dark twist.

Jez Pike has a bit of fun with some of the minor characters, two stood out for me. Ruth Biene as Caius’s wife Virgilia adds greatly to the scripted character, looking like a feisty Norwich young mum about to go on a demo after a late night rave, while Haldane Jacques as a local tv journalist gives us some great laugh out loud moments with a vox pop street interview with the plebs, shot in a Norwich terraced street. Ash Grove, at a guess.

Coriolanus is a tragedy, but Jez Pike has crafted a lively, vibrant performance which is full of humour and witty detail amidst the sea of pathos. The technical team deserve a special mention, with great music, a lot of impressive video and graphic imagery and some challenging but effective live screening at key moments. The production seamlessly blends modern communication technology with the original script. Mobiles everywhere. Shakespeare would have been good with social media, we now know!

Overall this show reminds us that the genius of Shakespeare is to identify and portray universal human themes, so the historical narrative and the style and fashion of delivery are merely vehicles for his message. Sewell Barn have been on a roll for the last few years and this show is another unmissable high point. Book your seats now!

© Julian Swainson
Norwich Eye
21st November 2025

Coriolanus plays at Sewell Barn Theatre 20-22 and 26-29 November at 7.30 pm with a Matinée at 2.30 on the 29th. Please go to www.sewellbarn.org for tickets and more info.