Coriolanus In The (Sometime) Rain

A rainbow arced over Robinson College and we sat stoically in the rain (for a short time at least) as the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival gave us its Coriolanus. It was pruned down to less than two hours but I have no intrinsic problem with that in the English summer rain.

and then it rained

Caius Martius Coriolanus (he earns the last moniker for his single-handed courage at Corioli) is a difficult part to cast. Angus Villers-Stuart (A Birmingham School of acting grad) was suitably muscular and believably martial but just that tad too young for the part. Another BSA alumni, Tim Atkinson, was impressive as Titus Aufidius and, old clever clogs, played both clarinet and guitar in the interval - though not at the same time. Best of the cast was Adam Elms. His Menenius was arch, even mildly camp, but, rather contrary to my expectations, he made this work.

So all in all a worthwhile trip. And in Cambridge even the pork scratchings are posh - mine came with Cornish sea salt. I washed them down with a muscular Coriolanus like Malbec.