The Lincoln Shakespeare Company

The most common reaction from people, when told that the Lincoln Shakespeare Company was about to stage a production of Titus Andronicus, was that they had never heard of it! This is hardly surprising since Titus Andronicus has been performed relatively little over the last 300 years. For about the first forty years after Shakespeare wrote the play, it was actually one of his most popular works, but its themes of violent revenge, mutilation and rape meant that by the mid 17th century it was considered indecorous, a prejudice which has persisted almost to the present day. There have been a few notable productions of Titus over the last fifty years, some of which have portrayed the violence in a heavily stylised way and others, like Deborah Warner's 1987 RSC production, with as much realism as could be achieved in front of a live audience. Although both approaches to the play's central themes have their merits, I decided that a realistic portrayal of the brutality in the play was essential

Violence on both the 'large' and 'small' screens has become commonplace over the last few years and we are becoming increasingly desensitised to it. Witnessing aggression, cruelty and bloodshed through the artificial medium of film, distances us from the reality: we are, after all watching from within a safe environment. By realistically portraying the violence and brutality of Titus Andronicus in a live theatrical setting it may encourage us to re-evaluate our attitudes to violence as entertainment. It is important to note, however, that it is our more tolerant attitude to violence within the sphere of entertainment that has encouraged students of Shakespeare to look again at Titus and to reassess its value as a play. It was one of his earliest plays and within it can be seen many elements that appear in his later and better known works. My hope is that this production will play a part in broadening our understanding of Titus Andronicus as a play central to the Shakespeare canon and also encourage other Shakespeare companies to take it on.

Chas Rodgers, Director and 'Saturninus' - Taken from Director's Notes

'Bloody hell. I hope they're going to cut some of these lines!" Was my first thought at the opening rehearsal for Titus Andronicas. Titus was certainly a challenging part - he would need to be heroic, strong, single-minded, honourable, uncompromising and revengeful. But most of all he would need to be covered in a 'red chocolate goo' every night. Yes, being an Army General calls for many ruthless acts -shooting your own family and cutting your own hand off - being but two of them. But the real proof of true valour would be having catheter bags full of 'red chocolate goo' strapped to your body each night, and then having them explode and run down your body. It seems that being a hero isn't all that it is made out to be. (NB: 'Red Chocolate'- was a recipe used to create fake blood for the show).'

Phil Mead, 'Titus Andronicus'.