At the start of Declan Donnellan’s production of Measure for Measure, the 13-strong Russian cast appears on stage in a group. Moving together in formation around five large red containers as if making their way through the streets of Vienna, the actor playing the Duke (Alexander Arsentyev) is eventually isolated from the pack. From his awkward arm movements and hesitant body language, it’s clear that he has trouble communicating with his people and is uncomfortable wielding authority.

^{Anna Khalilulina as Isabella is restrained from attacking Andrei Kuzichev’s Angelo. Photo by Prudence Upton}

Moving swiftly into the play itself, the Duke announces his departure, appointing the strait-laced, hard-line Angelo (Andrei Kuzichev) as his deputy while he is away. Hoping that Angelo will clean up the vice and debauchery now rife in the city, the Duke disguises himself as a friar and then returns to watch what unfolds. Throughout the production, the assembled pack is ever present, observing proceedings, moving around the stage, disgorging characters for scenes and then gathering them back into the pack. It’s an effective device, which keeps the fast-paced production moving quickly, while suggesting the tension between the individual...