Producer needs firm Agrip-pina on Britannicus reviewed by Christopher Walker

The Lyric whisks us off to imperial Rome for a tale of backstabbing and power struggles that requires more than the usual number of trigger warnings.

Powerful writing and strong performances carry a confused production, writes Christopher Walker.

Racine is one of France’s greatest writers from the golden age of The Sun King. He is mildly subversive and it is tempting to find references to the Louis XIV’s autocratic style the many classical works.

But Louis knew how to silence criticism and a fake job at court with an enormous salary tamed Racine.

He ended up churning out less incisive pieces on biblical heroes – Louis’s last mistress was a religious fanatic.

This background certainly comes to mind when watching Britannicus.

The title should really be Nero, as the fiddling emperor is the real central character, and his attempt to tame his court the central theme of the play.

His step-brother Britannicus is just collateral damage.

The plot concerns a family quarrel, but since this is the Imperial family it has major historic importance.

Pre-curtain the failing Emperor Claudius is inveigled by his calculating niece Agrippina into an incestuous marriage.

She persuades the emperor to disinherit his son Britannicus (named after the Roman conquest of Britain) in favour of her son Nero, before then finishing the old man off.

A rivalry between the half brothers is born, which is exacerbated as the play begins when Nero kidnaps Britannicus’s fiancée Junia.

Nero demands her love, and that Junia repudiate Britannicus while Nero watches, or he will have her lover killed.

Meanwhile, Nero’s mother Agrippina struggles to control her son as he sinks into insane tyranny. Or is she just trying to grab power for herself?

It’s a powerful story and one that comes out well in this translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker. The talented playwright famed for Our Country’s Good.

There are also some very strong performances. William Robinson is outstanding as Nero, threatening self-centred and unpredictable.

His confrontations with Junia (Shyvonne Ahmmad) and Agrippina (Sirine Saba) provide the most gripping moments in the show.

A broad accent is distracting, but Shyvonne Ahmmad is certainly a talented newcomer worth watching. Sirine Saba has some good tricks to make the most of an excellent role.

Britannicus is played by Nathaniel Curtis as something of a lummox, perhaps he was.

While Nero’s two tutors Narcissus and Burrhus are portrayed, by Nigel Barrett and Helena Lymbery, as the conniving courtiers they undoubtedly were.

It’s an odd choice to cast a woman as Burrhus, especially when he is supposed to manhandle Agrippina.

But then director Atri Banerjee has made a lot of odd choices.

The large Lyric stage is underused. The staging is sparse, with a water cooler and a lot of chairs intended to bring office politics to mind.

But the chairs just get in the way and the performers spend too much time tripping over them or re-arranging them. At one point the action is brought to a grinding halt as they are all removed by hapless stage staff, and then brought on again. William Robinson is reduced to singing.

Banerjee asks much of his poor performers. Making them shake inexplicably, crawl distractingly around the stage while others are performing, or in Hanna Khogali’s case play a fiddle.

This she finally hands over to Nero, presumably in time for Rome to burn. Groan.

Altogether confused and confusing. Not least the costumes. Why is Nero in a white tracksuit and Junia in a ballgown?

It is crying out for a firmer producer to slap down the director’s more unnecessary frills. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/britannicus/

 

Pictured: Helena Lymbery, Nathaniel Curtis, William Robinson, Shyvonne Ahmmad, Nigel Barrett, and Sirine Saba in Britannicus: Picture credits:  Marc Brenner