Reviewed by Ben Whitehouse, local theatre fan
The Royal Shakespeare Company have created an exciting production of The Roman Actor at the Swan.
Accompanied by stunning music by Adrian Lee and visual set pieces designed by Anthony Lamble this is a play that in a moment can move from being achingly funny to disturbingly evil.
 In The Roman Actor Massinger reminds us of his skill for creating outrageous and egotistical villains.
 | Μύ | Ben Whitehouse
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The Roman Actor was written by Philip Massinger in 1626 for The King's Men. This was the company Shakespeare was associated with for most of his life and that ran The Globe and Blackfriars theatres.
Massinger took over from the author who took over from Shakespeare when he retired from writing. Massinger is remembered more for his comedies but his true skill lie in writing tragedies and tragicomedies.
| Μύ |  | High tension in The Roman Actor
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In The Roman Actor he reminds us of his skill for creating outrageous and egotistical villains. The Emperor Domitian, played with frightening calmness by Antony Sher, is a great example.
Sher seems to be playing more and more mad, evil characters. Richard the Third, Chief Weasel in Wind in the Willows, Arturo Ui, Titus Andronicus, Tamburlaine the Great, Leontes from The Winter's Tale, Macbeth and Shylock. All these characters will have provided an insight to the nature of evil and the corruption of power.
One must ask the question- where to next? Sher seems to only be a step away from playing King Lear, Timon of Athens or Pericles.
In The Roman Actor, Rome has sunk to new depths of degradation. Nero and Caligula look mischievous compared to Domitian. Citizens fear for their lives, good people are punished and the wicked flourish.
Lamia (Keith Osborn) is one of these good citizens who are punished. He is forced to sign a bill of divorce because Domitian has chosen his wife Domitia (Anna Madeley) as his consort. She wastes no time in deciding to side with the emperor and plays the role of Empress with joy knowing that at any time she could be subject to his cruelty.
It is interesting to note that in this time of social upheaval and disquiet steps are taken to silence the actors of the city. Concern about ridiculing the upper strata of society and rousing the masses to action are the reasons given for wanting to lock away the actors of the city.
Paris (a well oiled and beefy Joe Dixon) makes an impassioned plea on behalf of actors throughout history. He defends the art of theatre and acting so well the audience were roused to applause at the end of his speech.
Massinger is highlighting the tension between individual freedom and collective rule, the liberty of the weak and the control of the strong- he not only looks at this within the rule of government but also within the domestic setting.
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