On Tour: Burt Casear
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.There are 11 actors in the Julius Caesar company and we play the crowd as well, so touring is quite demanding. Also we have a set that's closer to an assault course than a replica of Ancient Rome, so afterwards we sit and count our bruises.
The greatest discovery for me during this tour was Hull. It's a wonderful city with a lot of history to it and a beautiful old town that I never knew about - comparable to Bristol or York. The saddest place was Ashton-under-Lyne - if you've seen Ken Loach's film Raining Stones, you get the picture. We didn't meet any loan sharks or witness any murders, but it's a place that has that same feeling of depression.
The funniest digs we've encountered this time were in Swansea. Five of us had booked into a B & B a stone's throw from the theatre. We arrived there and the place was in total darkness. We knocked and knocked, and finally two guys appeared. They said: 'Are you the people who are supposed to be staying here? Well, we took over today: the previous landlord was dismissed for malpractice.'
Inside all was dark and the air was foul - you felt the place hadn't been disturbed for decades. We only stayed the one night. That's the sort of time when you think 'What a life]'. But mostly I love touring. I find the audiences less jaded than in London. They give you your three hours on the stage, and then they'll judge you. They don't judge you before the curtain goes up. I like the fact that every venue is different in size and acoustics: the play becomes a new game each time, a new test match.
Burt Caesar plays Brutus in the ESC's 'Julius Caesar'. The production is at the Shaw, London this week (071-388 1394) then on tour to 26 March 1994
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments