Chris Taylor, one of the main scriptwriters for the cult tv show ‘The Chaser’, has taken to writing for the stage. The Sydney Theatre Company has produced his first play ‘ Dead Caesar’ for its Wharf2Loud program. ‘Dead Caesar’ is a musical comedy, and Taylor brought on board Chaser composer/colleague Andrew Hanson, to come up with some songs for the show.
Taylor’s show is a fast paced, comic spin on the Julius Caesar story, of course made famous by the Shakespeare play. My take on the show- it was mainly a bit of fun, a spoof on life in Ancient Rome. There was lots of actors walking around in togas, some bawdy pantomine, some catchy tunes and lots of zingy dialogue. Add a bit of satirical commentary on the opportunism and power plays in politics, and that’s basically ‘Dead Caesar’.
Toby Moore directed the piece, and a talented cast appeared to enjoy the romp. The cast included Toby Moore as Caesar, Andrew Hansen as Mark Antony, Ben Borgia as Brutus, Ewen Leslie as Cassius, Alan Dukes as Cicero, John Leary as the Messenger , and Monica Sayers as Calpurnia. Bruce McKinven designed the set, Andrew Hansen composed the score and Stephen Hawker lit the stage.
