Titus Andronicus (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare)
by William Shakespeare

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• Sony WMFX479 Walkman

Book Reviews of Titus Andronicus (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare)

Book Review: A good recording of a little performed play
Summary: 5 Stars

The Harper set is perfectly fine with stylized readings in old fashioned manner (what else can one do with a script like this one?) that milks what little poetry there is in this play for all it is worth. The "star" of the show is Anthony Quayle, whose Aaron the Moor just stops at going "over the top" in his last scenes.

The Arkangel set gives us Paterson Joseph in that role, whose "ethnic" voice never overstates any of the lines and who whispers where Quayle chortles in his joy. David Troughton plays the title role, trying (it seems to me) to make the character believable in a voice that seems just a tad young after hearing the venerable Michael Hodern in the earlier recording. In doing so, he loses some of the feeling for the meter but I think he succeeds very well on his own terms.

For once, the rape scene is as harrowing on a sound recording as it ever was on stage, thanks to the Director eliciting the most horrible screams from poor Lavinia (Emma Gregory), whose voice is then written out of the script. The evil Queen of the Goths (Harriet Walter) sounds like the mother of those two monster sons (John McAndrew and Charles Simpson); while the rest of the cast is never less than good.

The only (to me) jarring feature is the use of an organ, which (1) is too anachronistic and (2) makes us think unfortunately of the silent movie melodramas that this play can so closely resemble. I will keep playing both sets in the future, but this one has a bit more excitement while the other has a bit more of the poetry. Both are quite valid and this play does deserve something of a respectful resurrection that the film might bring about and these two sets will help considerably.

Summary of Titus Andronicus (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare)

Drama Books

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Drama
• Poetry
• British