INTERVIEW: Donmar ‘Julius Caesar’ set for PBS premiere
Photo: Martina Laird (Cassius) and Harriet Walter (Brutus) star in Julius Caesar, part of Great Performances on PBS. Photo courtesy of Helen Maybanks / Provided by PBS with permission.
As the theater world continues to evolve, so do the platforms by which audiences experience the thrills of the stage. In recent years, there has been an uptick in filmed theatrical productions for both movie theaters and TV screens. One only has to look at the offerings from the Metropolitan Opera or National Theatre to find clear evidence that accessibility of the art form has done a complete 180.
Another case in point: Great Performances on PBS, which has been steadily leading the charge for a long time. Their latest project is the Donmar Warehouse production of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The Bard’s classic, this time performed with an all-female cast, will play Friday, March 29 at 9 p.m. on the network.
The chance to see the work of Harriet Walter, one of the most beloved English actors of her generation, is a special one, especially for fans who were unable to see Phyllida Lloyd’s original production in London or its transfer to New York City’s St. Ann’s Warehouse.
“There’s some things that we pursue and produce ourselves; other projects come to us,” said Great Performances executive producer David Horn. “And this one came to us from Kate Pakenham, who was running Donmar Warehouse at the time.”
Horn, who has been with Great Performances for four decades, is used to producing adaptations of Shakespeare for a TV screen. He was involved in Macbeth with Patrick Stewart, which played Broadway and was filmed on location, and The Hollow Crown, which adapts Shakespeare’s history plays, among other projects.
“When I took over, I was interested in getting more Shakespeare on the air, particularly in the context of educational outreach,” he said. “I thought this was just such a unique approach to Julius Caesar, and the Donmar had done a lot of educational outreach material, looking for different ways to get younger audiences interested in Shakespeare.”
When Horn was approached about Julius Caesar he had already seen it live in Brooklyn, New York. He also viewed the film, which was already complete before PBS became involved, and was impressed by the work and found the production ahead of its time.
“I thought Phyllida did a terrific job,” he said. “It was really impactful. There’s a lot of Shakespeare productions … but we don’t have that much money and that many slots. You have to choose carefully.”
Over the years, since the 1970s, the technology to capture live stage performances has been enhanced. Horn admitted there’s nothing like live theater, but he seems to appreciate the unique qualities of watching a production from the comforts of a living room.
“I direct myself a lot of television, a lot of live theater,” he said. “It’s different. It’s a different approach. You have a different point of view. You can draw more emphasis on characterizations, but if you love theater, it’s just not the same. But how many people are going to get the opportunity to see a production of this size at St. Ann’s or Donmar Warehouse? I’m always for any kind of capture of something like this for historical reasons. It’s always good to have a visual record.”
The Lloyd adaptations, which all starred Walter, actually extended into a trilogy, also including The Tempest and Henry IV. Horn is interested in seeing how Julius Caesar plays and whether a deal can be struck on the other two.
“We haven’t committed to them yet, but we’re looking to see how this does, and particularly how we judge it on how it works in schools,” he said. “But I’m very interested in doing the whole trilogy. We couldn’t do it just in one season. We’d have to spread it out.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Julius Caesar, a production of the Donmar Warehouse, will play Great Performances Friday, March 29 at 9 p.m. on PBS. Click here for more information.
