Review | Rome, a fascinating theatrical odyssey!

By bringing together five plays by Shakespeare in a river show, Brigitte Haentjens and Jean Marc Dalpé bet that the theater remains the ideal place to illustrate the megalomania of men and the madness of power. Beyond its duration and its imposing distribution, Rome is first and foremost a real human and artistic experience.

“To govern is to make people believe”, said Machiavelli. And Rome is making a moving demonstration of this these days at Usine C. This 7h30min show, including two intermissions, with nearly 30 artists on stage, is both funny and tragic, burlesque and political, delirious and introspective . Of course, we must accept the duration of this adventure which makes us squirm on a narrow seat… But Rome was not built in a day.

Rome brings together Shakespeare’s five Roman plays, rewritten by Jean Marc Dalpé. We are as much in the language of Shakespeare as in that of Dalpé. The latter remains faithful to the author, while shaking up his work, adding here and there anachronisms and many coronations. At times, the production pours a little too much into caricature. She also winks at our current Rome: Trump’s United States. These plebeians who express themselves, placards in hand, look like supporters of MAGA, with their caps bearing the ROME logo.

The show opens with the driest piece of the five texts, The Rape of Lucretius. A choice that will be explained over the course of the performance. Whether Rome exposes the gains and the setbacks, the advances and the abuses of history, the rape of Lucretius is a bit the original fault which will trigger the cycle of injustices of the following centuries.

Then, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar And Antony and Cleopatrae dwell on the rise of this Roman power. A power both glorious and monstrous. The story illustrates another Machiavelli maxim: “It is safer to be feared than to be loved.” ” With Titus Andronicus, we witness the fall of the empire, the total decline of a civilization blinded by the thirst for blood and revenge. And which strangely resembles ours.

Mission Cleopatra

The show is carried by 29 versatile performers from several generations, as well as 25 designers and technicians. They are completely invested in the troop, passing from the big ones to the small roles, with a beautiful cohesion in the choirs. Without being spectacular, the staging of Brigitte Haentjens is of great finesse. She uses the four corners of the room, with many entrances and exits, under the beautiful lighting of Julie Basse, with neat choreography by Harold Rhéaume.

In this fascinating odyssey, there are of course some moments that are stronger than others. We remember the appearance of Sébastien Ricard in Coriolanus. Both precise and fiery, the actor plays the proud patrician and formidable warrior, always in conflict with the citizens furious against his despotism. In Titus Andronicus, Marc Béland embodies Titus, another cruel warrior, but who will undergo his own medicine under the reign of Emperor Saturnin and Queen Tamora (excellent Alex Bergeron and Sylvie Drapeau!). In the shoes of none other than the mythical Queen of Egypt, Madeleine Sarr is a revelation! As soon as she opens her mouth, her Cleopatra seduces us, while making us laugh out loud. Let’s also mention the demagogic speech of Antoine (hilarious Jean-Moïse Martin).

In short, this show plunges us into the heart of the words and the chaos of an immense work.

Rome

The five plays of Shakespeare’s Roman cycle, rewritten by Jean Marc Dalpé. Director: Brigitte Haentjens.

At Usine C until April 23 and May 5 and 6 at the National Arts Center in Ottawa.

8/10