Bell Shakespeare stages Shakespeare’s political epic Coriolanus for the first time in nearly 30 years. Coriolanus is a ferocious warrior, but his contempt for the public, and his refusal to play the political game, see him banished from the city he once protected. When he joins forces with his former enemy to seek vengeance, the fate of Rome hangs in the balance. Directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, with Hazem Shammas in the title role, the production unfolds in a setting reminiscent of Eastern Europe in the 1990s following the fall of the Berlin Wall. “Coriolanus is profoundly prescient, reminding us of the fragile nature of democracy,” says Evans. “The play’s exploration of the fear of autocracy and the consolidation of power within the ruling elite at the expense of public trust resonates today, as we witness similar struggles for balance in modern politics.”
Limelight Editor’s Choice.

Coriolanus is a ferocious warrior and defender of Rome. But his contempt for the public, and his refusal to play the political game, see him banished from the city he once protected.

When he joins forces with his former enemy to seek vengeance against Rome, the fate of the city, and of Coriolanus himself, hangs in the balance.

For the first time in 30 years Bell Shakespeare presents one of Shakespeare’s most exhilarating political works, in the intimate surrounds of The Neilson Nutshell.

Directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, and featuring Hazem Shammas as the uncompromising soldier/tyrant, this tale of war, power and politics promises to be both thrilling and disturbingly familiar.