Plummer at the top of his game at age 78

Article By: GEOFF DALE

Christopher Plummer as a crafty Julius Caesar in George Bernard Shaw’s serio-comic Caesar and Cleopatra

– what a marvelous way to tie up the Stratford Shakespeare Festival on so many levels.

The first and most obvious reason is that it brings back theatre’s grand master – the 78-year-old Plummer – in a classic role demonstrating yet again why he is at the top of his game, both in the dramatic and comic arenas.

Next is the redemption it offers both co-star Nikki M. James (Cleopatra), who regains much the luster she lost earlier in Romeo and Juliet and director Des McAnuff, who suffered a similar fate in that rather ill-fated Stratford opener.

Lastly the presence of such a high-powered star like Plummer gives the remainder of the cast plenty of golden opportunities to shine on their own merits.

On that note, there are likely countless within the company issuing a collective sigh of relief because so often a leading actor of such magnitude on the bill can have exactly the opposite effect – leaving such a cast in disarray by exposing its unequal range of talent.

Such is not the case here.

Diane D’Aquilla snarls and hisses with haughty vigour in her tasty role as Cleopatra’s overbearing catty nurse Ftatateeta, a name Caesar delights in mispronouncing at will throughout the play.

Veteran Peter Donaldson adds just the right amount of stern military support and camaraderie to Plummer’s aging but still wily diplomat, while Steven Sutcliffe’s Britannus avoids those potential minefields filled with cliques of effeminate parody.

Part lavish spectacle with its wardrobe of gaudy costumes, a touch of gratuitous nudity courtesy of two topless women (Michelle Monteith and Sophia Walker) lounging in a sauna and a magnificent Sphinx – the site of the balding Caesar’s opening monologue – the production is nonetheless equal in its dramatic moments, courtesy of the magnificent Plummer.

Even the opening moments have their appeal - featuring a seemingly motionless God with a hawk’s head, whose hand and arm positions ever-so-gradually shift before he descends through the reliable centre stage trap door.

What is particularly satisfying is seeing James demonstrate her previously hidden but considerable capabilities – here used to great effect portraying Cleopatra’s emergence from butterfly status to full-fledged Queen of the Nile.

Fortunately she has the comically gifted Paul Dunn on hand to act as her wonderfully absurd 10-year-old brother Ptolemy, a figure of derision and a full blown target for her burgeoning sarcastic skills.

For those keen on catching Plummer’s quick plunge to the waters below, avoid blinking at all costs, lest you miss the cleverly inserted stunt double.

While certainly not noted for its historic accuracy, the production nonetheless provides a generous sampling of Shaw’s razor-sharp wit and keen ability to move swiftly and effectively from broad and often self-deprecating humour to scenes of genuine drama.

A first rate production that continues at the Festival Theatre until November 8. **** ½ (out of five stars)

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Photo by David Hou: Christopher Plummer is Julius Caesar to Nikki M James’ Cleopatra.

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