Britannicus – Lyric Hammersmith, London

Writer: Jean Racine, translated by Timberlake Wertenbaker

Director: Atri Banerjee

Jean Racine’s Britannicus was originally penned as a five-act tragic play in the 17th century. Now, Lyric Hammersmith presents Timberlake Wertenbaker’s adaptation which compacts the tale into a single act, albeit a lengthy one.

The play opens as Nero’s reign as Emperor takes a tyrannical turn. He is shunning his mother, Agrippina, whose cunning actions got him the throne ahead of the rightful heir, Brittanicus, and he has kidnapped Junia, Britannicus’ lover, who he now intends to leave his wife for. A family tree included in the programme may lead audiences to fear an overly complicated experience, but this is unwarranted as the company makes light work of the script’s complex context. The production does, however, have a bit of a pacing issue.

Performances are strong across the board with Nathaniel Curtis giving a heartfelt performance in the titular role. However, the stars of the show –in both quantity and quality – are undoubtedly the mother and son duo: Agrippina (Sirine Saba) and Nero (William Robinson). Saba packs impressive emotion into her fast-paced delivery and her portrayal is resilient and commanding. Robinson, on the other hand, is impulsive and a little camp in his characterisation, leading to a lot of laughs initially, followed by significant unease as his dangerous temperament blooms.

There are a lot of strengths in Atri Banerjee’s direction of the piece and the set is used to its full potential. The visual representations of power are superb, using height to acknowledge status, and a scene in which Emperor Nero grovels on the floor to his Agrippina, who chides him from her chair (a la ‘throne’) is stand out. Other stylistic blocking is unclear in its meaning and so lacks the intended impact perhaps.

The set design by Rosanna Vize is minimal, beginning with chairs around the perimeter of the playing space, accompanied by a water cooler which gives the vibe of a waiting room – an unfortunate coincidence when pace is one of the play’s weaker points. Hung at the back of the stage is an apt painting of a wolf suckling one infant whilst another is notably displaced. This is an effective and clear metaphor for Agrippina’s relationship with Nero and Britannicus and renders the only other set prop, a taxidermy wolf, as rather redundant. The modern costume design is sleek and elegant across the board, with the exception of Shyvonne Ahmmad, whose gripping performance as Junia is oddly packaged in a rather dated red gown.

The strength of Lyric Hammersmith’s Britannicus lies with the cast who start strong and end stronger. Audiences should not be intimidated by the wealth of historical context, as all becomes clear quickly enough; although with a single act running time of 100 minutes, you must be ready to commit.

Runs until 25 June 2022