Measure for Measure: William Shakespeare, RST at RSC , Stratford Upon AvonRuns: 2hrs 36 mins, until Saturday 25 October 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: Roderick Dungate.
Photo Credit: Helen Murray.
Measure for Measure: William Shakespeare
RST at RSC , Stratford Upon Avon
Runs: 2hrs 36 mins
Friday 10 October 2025 Audio Described Performance
Until Saturday 25 October 2025
4☆☆☆☆. Review: Roderick Dungate, AD Performance, 10 October 2025
“Intense and gripping.”
It’s the intensity of the playing that makes this production stand out. The play centres around the collision of natural sex drive, inhumane and cruel laws, and hypocrisy in the misuse of power. These are themes for today and in Emily Burns’ remarkable production the contemporary link cannot be missed.
This is a big play but miraculously it works with a small group of people and an enclosed world.
The narrative is forced along by the commitment each member of the company makes to their roles. Each creates a great range of emotions; we receive the duologues and trialogues as dangerous and heady and exciting switchback rides. The ability of these actors to strive for a type of realism while not undermining their historical texts is fabulous.
Centrally this comes from Isis Hainsworth as Isabella. Hainsworth carefully shapes her journey into herself as she explores the dark conflict of not being able to save both herself and her brother. Scenes between her and Claudio, her brother (Oli Higginson) are truly thrilling. Young Higginson pushes himself to the emotional boundary of horror at his looming execution and then goes some more.
Adam James has the tricky job of playing the Duke who later disguises himself as a Friar. He deftly delineates these two characters. There is a sense of the Duke finding things getting out of control and having to improvise as he goes along.
Tom Motherdale‘s Angelo is ever believable even at his sleeziest.
It’s not all high intensity, though. welcome moments of natural humour emerge. Marianna (Emily Benjamin) realising, for instance, that she has to dowdily dress down to imitate Isabella. Douggie McMeekin as Lucio also has his delicious comedic moments.
Burns paces her production expertly. She catches the play’s rhythms but never hurries; actors are given plenty of room to act.
The whole of this revelatory production sits comfortably within Frankie Bradshaw’s stylish, modern and crucially, unfussy, settings.
Cast
Duke Vincentio – Adam James
Escalus – Sion Pritchard
Angelo – Tom Motherdale
Friar Peter – Valentine Hanson
Claudio – Oli Higginson
Provost – Natasha Jayetileke
Lucio – Douggie McMeekin
Isabella – Isis Hainsworth
Sister Francesca/Mariana – Emily Benjamin
Angelo’s Assistant/Juliet – Miya James
Bernadine – John Vernon
Camera Operatores/Prison Officers – Kaffe Jeating & Katie Singh
Creative
Director – Emily Burns
Designer – Frankie Bradshaw
Lighting – Joshua Pharo
Composer – Asaf Zohar
Sound – Christopher Shutt
Adio Describers – Gethyn Edwards & Carolyn Smith