Coriolanus at the National, darling

After work, I took the tube into central London to the National Theatre, where we saw a performance of the well-received production of Coriolanus, a play I hadn't read or seen before. The National Theatre is a lovely venue (the concrete gives it permanence), but it can be a confusing place to navigate. Once I passed the bag check, I decided I wouldn't leave and found a café to eat a sandwich and sausage roll while waiting for PY.

During the performance, captions were displayed across the top of the stage. I assume they were primarily designed for the hearing impaired, but I found them incredibly useful for following the plot, especially early in the show when my brain needed to tune itself to Shakespeare's words.

David Oyelowo's portrayal of Coriolanus was more compelling than I imagined for a Shakespeare play I'd never seen. He plays a traumatised Roman general struggling to navigate his ambitions within Rome's political structure. Though the play loses its emotional intensity when Coriolanus exits the stage, the direction keeps the narrative sharp. The play explores themes of loyalty, power, and the individual's place in society with what some suggest is a "unique interpretation of Shakespeare's work."

I unexpectedly enjoyed it more than I imagined.