THEATRE
Written by William Shakespeare, by Bell Shakespeare
At Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne until 10 May 2026
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***(3)
This review is published only on
this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat. 2 May 2026.
KH
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| JuliusCaesar_Brigid Zengeni and Leon Ford_Photo Brett Boardman. |
Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar lands in Melbourne with a polished surface and an insistent sense of contemporary relevance, but beneath the sleek exterior, this is a production that struggles to locate the play’s moral and emotional centre.
Peter Evans’ direction opts for a fluid, modern setting—suggestive rather than specific—where political unrest simmers in an atmosphere of stylish unease. The design elements are undeniably arresting: sharply tailored costumes, an ominous soundscape, and bursts of violence that punctuate the action. Yet this visual confidence is not matched by interpretive clarity. The conceptual frame feels more like a gesture toward relevance than a fully realised argument, and as a result, the production’s political stakes remain frustratingly diffuse.
Brigid Zengeni’s Brutus, a character that might be considered the production’s anchor, is curiously opaque. While the verse is handled well, the internal conflict that should drive the character — Brutus's tortured justification of betrayal — rarely lands with sufficient weight. Zengeni’s performance feels controlled rather than compelled, leaving Brutus’ moral dilemma too easily resolved. Evans’ casting a woman as Brutus has promise, but the character’s gender change assumes more importance and focus than Brutus’s internal struggle.
Leon Ford as Cassius is a highlight, bringing a watchful intelligence, stillness and power to this character who some Romans consider to be too clever and too intellectual. Cassius slowly and subtly manoeuvres Brutus and several others into the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar, who has become a despot and sees himself as a God.
However, the dynamic between Cassius and Brutus never quite ignites. Their conspiracy lacks the dangerous urgency that should propel the first half of the play.
As Caesar, Septimus Caton emphasises the character’s bombast and arrogance that borders on caricature. While this underscores the character’s hubris, it also diminishes the impact of his assassination; the fall of this Caesar feels less like a seismic political rupture and more like an inevitability.
Mark Leonard Winter’s Mark Antony, too, proves uneven. His transformation from sidelined observer to political operator is sketched rather than developed, and the rhetorical power of the famous funeral oration — so often the play’s electrifying centrepiece — is diluted by self-conscious delivery.
The ensemble, in general, works cohesively, though they are not always well served by the production’s wavering tone, which veers between high-stakes tragedy and a kind of ironic detachment.
There is, certainly, an attempt to connect Shakespeare’s exploration of power and populism to a contemporary moment. But without a firmer interpretive grip, the production’s relevance remains more asserted than earned.
That tonal inconsistency is the production’s central issue. Evans repeatedly undercuts tension with stylistic choices that undervalues the text. The result is a Julius Caesar that feels conceptually busy but dramatically undernourished.
KATE HERBERT
Melbourne Cast
Brigid Zengeni – Brutus
Mark Leonard Winter – Mark Antony
Septimus Caton – Julius Caesar
Leon Ford – Cassius
Gareth Reeves – Casca
Ray Chong Nee – Metellus
James Lugton – Decius
Ava Madon – Calpurnia
Jules Billington – Portia
Ruby Maishman – Cinna
Creative Team
Director – Peter Evans
Lighting Designer– Amelia Lever-Davidson
Costume Designer – Simon Romaniuk
Composer & Sound Designer – Madeleine Piccard
Fight & Movement Director – Tim Dashwood
Voice Director – Jack Starkey-GIll
