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Understudies Dream of Breaking a Leg
26 Nov
Summary
- Two understudies await their chance to perform as Brutus and Cassius.
- They secretly wish for a lead actor's injury to get on stage.
- The play questions ambition versus political conviction in Shakespeare.
In the cramped backstage of a West End production of Julius Caesar, two understudies, Brutus and Cassius, find their aspirations overshadowed by the main cast. Night after night, they wait for an opportunity that never arises, their only companions an ailing plant and a bucket for leaks. Their hidden hope is for a lead actor to suffer an injury, creating a path for them to finally perform.
The play 'Petty Men,' devised by actors Adam Goodbody and John Chisham, explores the competitive nature of comradeship. It smartly identifies how Brutus and Cassius's bond frays as their ambition grows. The production itself, directed by Júlia Levai, uses inventive staging and wild captioning to transform the drab backstage setting into a space for phantasms and dreams.
While the play is bold in its experimental form, it offers a focused interpretation, emphasizing personal ambition over genuine political conviction. It prompts reflection on whether the internal dramas of theatre can truly parallel the significant stakes of historical events like the fate of Rome.
