Ewan Downie: 'We have to follow wherever the work goes'
The unclassifiable Company Of Wolves turn their hand to Shakespeare's tragedy of betrayal and bloodshed
Scottish theatre group Company Of Wolves are always invigorating and unpredictable in their remit. What makes their work so interesting is that it blurs several disciplines to make it largely unclassifiable. Julius Caesar is an iconic text of betrayal, politics and bloodshed that they're bringing to the stage in typically idiosyncratic style, with a cast including Selina Boyack, Oat Jenner and Belle Jones.
As collaboration is such a key element of what they do, company co-founder and Julius Caesar director Ewan Downie explains the approach to this production: 'It contains devised elements that have been created collaboratively by the cast, as well as from Shakespeare's text. Our approach to the rehearsal is also collaborative and open. I want the work to be as alive as possible, and that means finding an approach to each moment that frees the actors to play, rather than binding their creativity within a pre-existing concept.'
Without giving away too much for audiences, Downie adds that this Julius Caesar is an irreverent production which crackles with life, tragedy and gallows humour. 'We have an extraordinary cast bringing to life multiple characters; there are women playing men, storms, crowds, murder, love, revenge, friendship and war. It's a rollercoaster ride, from first whisper of conspiracy to final catastrophe.'
In spite of a distinct directorial style, there's an emphasis by Company Of Wolves on using some traditional techniques. 'In this we're harking back to the theatre of ancient Greece, where actors spoke, sang and danced,' explains Downie. 'It's not so much that we've decided to blur boundaries, but for us, each performance is unique with its own language, rules and needs. We have to be able to follow wherever the work goes.'
Julius Caesar is on tour until Saturday 2 April.