Recently, I have had the opportunity to visit the Donmar Warehouse to watch their adapted version of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. This play is a well-known one which explores gender inequality in society. It is a play that really opened my eyes to the fact that it isn’t only women who are sexually abused and treated as inferior, it is men too.
Josie Rourke, the director, like many of us was looking for a solution to Shakespeare’s iconic play and managed to reach somewhere in the middle. Hayley Atwell, plays the obstinate, stubborn sister Isabella (a nun) who pleads to the sly Viennese deputy, Angelo (Jack Lowden), to save her brother, Claudio from execution. However, there’s a nasty turn of events when Angelo gives Isabella an ultimatum: sleep with him and he will let her brother live, if not, he dies. In return, Isabella plots with an undercover Duke Vincentio who is Angelo’s senior, to help let him live. The Duke’s reason for anonymity, (disguised as a monk) is so he can evaluate his deputy, Angelo’s, policies. Isabella tells the Duke about Angelo’s ultimatum and the Duke hoodwinks Angelo into sleeping with Mariana (Helena Wilson), Angelo’s recent betrothed. Mariana is bedded by Angelo, and Angelo is forced by the Duke to Mariana and guess what? Claudio goes free as well. Everything could end happily but, and here comes the big but. The Duke then attempts to force Isabella to marry him and states that since he has helped her, she must now marry him.
Instead of giving in like we (the audience) forbid her to do, silently with our minds, Atwell screams right in the Duke’s face and the lights go out, the set skips a few centuries, costumes change and Isabella dons her nun tunic for a formal dress, high heels and, of course, what no modern theatre costume is complete without: an iPhone. Then, the whole thing repeats again, with Isabella reading Angelo’s lines and Angelo being the one who is pressurised to sleep with Isabella and to marry Duke Vincentio to save his brother Claudio’s life.
When 18th century life and the modern-day life are melded together, it forms an interesting mix of ideas that when cultured properly, can do enough to intrigue the reader into thinking about alternative viewpoints to a traditionalist idea. Therefore, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is so fascinating and I owe my thanks to Josie Rourke for creating such a fabulous performance that I am sure she is extremely proud of.
