Britannicus

Sarah Lewellyn’s cacophonous music and sound stridently sustain the momentum

Howard Loxton, The British Theatre Guide

Credits

By Jean Racine
Wiltons Music Hall  Autumn 2011

Translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Directed by Irina Brown
Musical soundscapes by Sarah Llewellyn
Designer Chloe Lamford

production photo by Tony Nandi/LNP

Desire. Power. Ambition. Politics
An ambitious mother. A rebellious son.
An orphaned heir to the throne of Rome.
Part political thriller, part family drama, Britannicus depicts twenty-four hours in the life of Emperor Nero that were to change the course of Roman history.

It makes for a fantastically volatile production, which leaves one glued to the actors’ eyes, desperate for clues as to who will turn, and in what direction, next

Miriam Gillinson, Time Out

Once shunned by the British theatre, Racine is edging back into fashion. It is well worth the detour to London’s East End to catch Irina Brown’s modern-dress revival of this austere 1669 masterpiece. .

Michael Billington, The Guardian

Listen to musical extracts