Director David Tremain’s portrayal of Julius Caesar is a fitting tribute to one of William Shakespeare’s shortest and tensest works. With a stage encumbered by only the barest necessities – a nonintrusive backdrop consisting of one graffiti-strewn wall and two large cloth hangings – and minimal yet effectively used props, the actors were allowed to express their characters and the force of the language without any distractions, a freedom that they used to great effect.

They were led by a stellar performance from Aydan Greatrick, who delivered a nuanced portrayal of Brutus, noble yet tormented. It found the perfect counterpoint in the powerful display of raw emotion from Peter Martin’s Marc Antony. The contrast between the two is central to the play and the full force of it was helped by the actors’ differing methods, the tension of Brutus versus the passion of Marc Antony. This was aided in the production by clever use of the stage, half of which was elevated during the excellent delivery of the pair’s conflicting oratory over Caesar’s body.

The rhetoric of the script, with the language emphasised over superfluous action, was displayed to good effect in Louis Morris’ suitably duplicitous performance as Cassius and James Pennington’s understated portrayal of Caesar himself. This lack of unnecessary action added to the quick pace of the production, allowing the tension to be built up before the inevitable release of Caesar’s death. When it came, such was the delivery of the lines and the ferocious speed of the action that the audience could not help but be totally engrossed.

That is not to say that the play was without its problems. The opening scene was stilted, aiming for laughter which was not forthcoming due to the somewhat wooden delivery of the comic lines; the exits of the characters could have been more polished in several scenes and the performance of the leading actors dragged up a slightly weak supporting cast. For all that, however, the production was hugely moving and entertaining; if you like Shakespeare, you’re sure to love this.