REVIEW
Southend Shakespeare Company presents
TITUS ANDRONICUS
by William Shakespeare
21st-25th April 2026
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
Southend Shakespeare Company presents
TITUS ANDRONICUS
by William Shakespeare
21st-25th April 2026
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
Few of William Shakespeare’s plays divide opinion quite like Titus Andronicus. Believed to be one of his earliest tragedies, written in the late 16th century, it stands apart from the more familiar emotional depth of say, Hamlet or King Lear, instead plunging headlong into a brutal world of revenge, political chaos and almost unrelenting violence.
Set in a mythic vision of ancient Rome, the play follows a victorious general whose rigid sense of honour ignites a catastrophic cycle of vengeance with the captured Tamora, Queen of the Goths. What unfolds is a blood-soaked tale of betrayal, mutilation and retribution so extreme that it has, over the centuries, shocked, repelled and fascinated audiences in equal measure.
It’s fairly safe to say that Southend Shakespeare Company have gone in all guns blazing for their interpretation of this play with a no holds barred version, which certainly doesn’t hold back on the blood and gore.
SSC have pitched a strong cast for this production with Madeleine Ayres, providing not only great direction but enormous attention to detail. Costumes, as always with SSC wouldn’t be out of place if worn on stage at The Globe. The staging here is very simple with scaffolding either side of the stage depicting various structures.
It’s a tale of two halves with the first Act focusing on Titus’s return from war and exacting revenge on the Goths for their killing of his sons. His first course of action being that of killing Tamora’s daughter, Albara in a highly charged emotional scene. He then declares Saturnisus as Emperor, much to his brother, Bassianus’s disgust. Saturninus subsequently decides to marry Tamora who, despite her grief at losing her daughter, goes along with this knowing that she has her lover, Aaron, in the sidelines which means that she can cunningly plot her own vengeance to the Roman Emperor alongside her 2 sons, Demetrius and Chiron.
The joy of SSC is that their command of Shakespeare’s works are so knowledgeable that even the most ignorant theatre-goer has no issue with understanding what is going on. This of course is helped by great direction.
This particular storyline, however, starts off as an investable tale and I particularly felt the emotions of the scene where Lavinia is pleading with Tamora to be spared the wrath of Demetrius and Chiron’s grotesque lust; a wonderful portrayal from Elena Gleed is this role but also, the angst of Tamora woman to woman and sensing that deep routed feeling of self doubt as she decides to send Lavinia to her demise. Tracey Anne Bourne does a great job in this role, just giving enough but never going over the top with her convincing portrayal.
Shaka Bunsie as Aaron, Tamora’s lover, also holds his own on stage with a well played and engaging performance. Joel Arnold as Saturninus also comes across well as the narcissist and arrogant newly crowned Emperor.
The plot becomes slightly more surreal in Act 2, which has Andronicus plotting his revenge over Lavinia’s demise; and just when you thought that the bloody massacres couldn’t get any worse, this half of the show racks up even more murderous carnage, which I won’t spoil for you as it’s all, rather weirdly, delightful.
James Carter as the titular Titus plays the role of the revengeful father in a quite a calm and understated way which I think gives the role more gravitas and meaning.
It’s a long show, 2 hours and 20 mins plus a 15 minute interval but the time flies as quickly as the pace of the action here; there’s practically never a dull moment and the play notches up one murderous scene after another. There's also some tremendous stage fighting in this production and some great action particularly between Lucius and Aaron (Marius Clements and Shaka Bunsie).
The only scene that really perplexed me is when Marcus (Andrew Sugden) discovers the weak, dishevelled and bloody Lavinia, after she’s been brutally attacked by Tamora’s sons in the woods. It's quite remarkable she's still alive to be fair. There’s a lot of dialogue from Marcus, which in all its sincerity, from an audience perspective, leaves you silently screaming for him to give the poor girl a hug and whip her to off to the nearest infirmary.
A special mention for the backstage team headed by Tracey Peacock, who have certainly got their work cut out this week with some nifty scene changes to deal with as well as mopping up a lot of blood. Don't sit in the front row if you're particularly squeamish, is all I'm saying.
The musical underscore works well throughout the production and there’s some effective lighting to complement the mood of each scene.
There are notes in the programme that suggest this play could have been written as a parody and if this had not been directed so expertly, I could possibly see why - Monty Python could have had field day. However, SSC have done fabulously well to make this a hugely watchable and - it feels odd saying this - enjoyable production.
If you want to see how Shakespeare wrote in his ‘Game of Thrones’ era, then this is definitely the one for you!
Review: Kim Tobin
Set in a mythic vision of ancient Rome, the play follows a victorious general whose rigid sense of honour ignites a catastrophic cycle of vengeance with the captured Tamora, Queen of the Goths. What unfolds is a blood-soaked tale of betrayal, mutilation and retribution so extreme that it has, over the centuries, shocked, repelled and fascinated audiences in equal measure.
It’s fairly safe to say that Southend Shakespeare Company have gone in all guns blazing for their interpretation of this play with a no holds barred version, which certainly doesn’t hold back on the blood and gore.
SSC have pitched a strong cast for this production with Madeleine Ayres, providing not only great direction but enormous attention to detail. Costumes, as always with SSC wouldn’t be out of place if worn on stage at The Globe. The staging here is very simple with scaffolding either side of the stage depicting various structures.
It’s a tale of two halves with the first Act focusing on Titus’s return from war and exacting revenge on the Goths for their killing of his sons. His first course of action being that of killing Tamora’s daughter, Albara in a highly charged emotional scene. He then declares Saturnisus as Emperor, much to his brother, Bassianus’s disgust. Saturninus subsequently decides to marry Tamora who, despite her grief at losing her daughter, goes along with this knowing that she has her lover, Aaron, in the sidelines which means that she can cunningly plot her own vengeance to the Roman Emperor alongside her 2 sons, Demetrius and Chiron.
The joy of SSC is that their command of Shakespeare’s works are so knowledgeable that even the most ignorant theatre-goer has no issue with understanding what is going on. This of course is helped by great direction.
This particular storyline, however, starts off as an investable tale and I particularly felt the emotions of the scene where Lavinia is pleading with Tamora to be spared the wrath of Demetrius and Chiron’s grotesque lust; a wonderful portrayal from Elena Gleed is this role but also, the angst of Tamora woman to woman and sensing that deep routed feeling of self doubt as she decides to send Lavinia to her demise. Tracey Anne Bourne does a great job in this role, just giving enough but never going over the top with her convincing portrayal.
Shaka Bunsie as Aaron, Tamora’s lover, also holds his own on stage with a well played and engaging performance. Joel Arnold as Saturninus also comes across well as the narcissist and arrogant newly crowned Emperor.
The plot becomes slightly more surreal in Act 2, which has Andronicus plotting his revenge over Lavinia’s demise; and just when you thought that the bloody massacres couldn’t get any worse, this half of the show racks up even more murderous carnage, which I won’t spoil for you as it’s all, rather weirdly, delightful.
James Carter as the titular Titus plays the role of the revengeful father in a quite a calm and understated way which I think gives the role more gravitas and meaning.
It’s a long show, 2 hours and 20 mins plus a 15 minute interval but the time flies as quickly as the pace of the action here; there’s practically never a dull moment and the play notches up one murderous scene after another. There's also some tremendous stage fighting in this production and some great action particularly between Lucius and Aaron (Marius Clements and Shaka Bunsie).
The only scene that really perplexed me is when Marcus (Andrew Sugden) discovers the weak, dishevelled and bloody Lavinia, after she’s been brutally attacked by Tamora’s sons in the woods. It's quite remarkable she's still alive to be fair. There’s a lot of dialogue from Marcus, which in all its sincerity, from an audience perspective, leaves you silently screaming for him to give the poor girl a hug and whip her to off to the nearest infirmary.
A special mention for the backstage team headed by Tracey Peacock, who have certainly got their work cut out this week with some nifty scene changes to deal with as well as mopping up a lot of blood. Don't sit in the front row if you're particularly squeamish, is all I'm saying.
The musical underscore works well throughout the production and there’s some effective lighting to complement the mood of each scene.
There are notes in the programme that suggest this play could have been written as a parody and if this had not been directed so expertly, I could possibly see why - Monty Python could have had field day. However, SSC have done fabulously well to make this a hugely watchable and - it feels odd saying this - enjoyable production.
If you want to see how Shakespeare wrote in his ‘Game of Thrones’ era, then this is definitely the one for you!
Review: Kim Tobin
Titus Andronicus, a famous general, has won a great victory. But when he executes his enemy’s child in an act of vengeance for the loss of his son, he has no idea what violent retribution and bloody horror he will unleash; not only on himself, but all those around him. This dark tale of blood and revenge is not for the faint hearted...
Tickets on now on sale. https://trafalgartickets.com/.../titus-andronicus-tickets
Contains scenes of a violent nature
Tickets on now on sale. https://trafalgartickets.com/.../titus-andronicus-tickets
Contains scenes of a violent nature
CURTAIN CALL WITH JIM CARTER FROM LEIGH ON SEA
When did you start to take an interest in theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?
I first became really interested in my teens at school and took part in some school productions, although I tended to do mainly backstage stuff as I was quite nervous. However, through a friend I got involved in public speaking which gave me confidence and made me realise how great it was to make an audience laugh. I also had a brilliant English teacher who made us read all sorts of plays out loud, particularly Shakespeare - which made them come alive. I saw my first RSC production of Othello at the Aldwych when I was sixteen which pretty much got me hooked on the Bard from then on. It wasn’t until my early twenties that a friend persuaded me to go with him to an audition for a Southend Shakespeare Company production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 40 years later I’m still here.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
Both my sisters have done some elocution and drama in their time. My sister Julie is also a member of the SSC.
Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing?
No, I thought about it but never got round to it. I’ve just enjoyed watching and learning from others. I can carry a tune as they say, but as for dancing, some hope!
Do you have any special skills, from stilt walking to dress making that have proved useful on stage?
Not as such, but I did graphics and photography at college which I can still put to use with our publicity. I also learnt a bit of swordfight choreography which has been useful over the years.
I first became really interested in my teens at school and took part in some school productions, although I tended to do mainly backstage stuff as I was quite nervous. However, through a friend I got involved in public speaking which gave me confidence and made me realise how great it was to make an audience laugh. I also had a brilliant English teacher who made us read all sorts of plays out loud, particularly Shakespeare - which made them come alive. I saw my first RSC production of Othello at the Aldwych when I was sixteen which pretty much got me hooked on the Bard from then on. It wasn’t until my early twenties that a friend persuaded me to go with him to an audition for a Southend Shakespeare Company production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 40 years later I’m still here.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
Both my sisters have done some elocution and drama in their time. My sister Julie is also a member of the SSC.
Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing?
No, I thought about it but never got round to it. I’ve just enjoyed watching and learning from others. I can carry a tune as they say, but as for dancing, some hope!
Do you have any special skills, from stilt walking to dress making that have proved useful on stage?
Not as such, but I did graphics and photography at college which I can still put to use with our publicity. I also learnt a bit of swordfight choreography which has been useful over the years.
Jim in rehearsal
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your theatre career?
That’s a tricky one. Too many to name really. I don’t know if I have an absolute favourite as I’ve been incredibly lucky to play so many great roles. Being involved in the SSC has given me so many acting opportunities that many professional actors could only dream of, and I have never taken that for granted.
When was your most embarrassing theatrical moment on or off stage?
I was in an outdoor production of Henry V at Stratford many years ago. I was standing at the top of a steep grassy hill in the darkness, ready to go onstage in a very dramatic moment. However, I managed to lose my footing and slid on my backside right down to the bottom of the hill. Luckily only a few members of the audience noticed. It was pretty spectacular.
How do you earn your living?
I used to work for Lloyds Bank but now I am retired.
Was your theatre career ever useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage roles?
Not really. They were at different ends of the spectrum.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
Yes – pretty much all of my mates are connected with drama in some way, although I keep in contact with old school pals and work colleagues as well.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I don’t have an all-time favourite, but as far as the stage goes I’ll try and go and see anything with Roger Allam or Simon Russell Beale in it.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. I wouldn't mind having a go at another American play some day. Something modern or gritty maybe. Either that or something really farcical perhaps. I like doing accents if the opportunity arises. I’d also like to do more directing as well.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
Almost, a few times. I was once in an outdoor play where there was a lady with a poodle sitting right at the front. At a certain moment I had to wave a sword at the front row and the poodle made an audible growl. The audience couldn’t stop laughing and the actor I was with had to turn upstage because he had lost it. It was comedy gold, and a lovely moment.
Tell us about your current production of TITUS ANDRONICUS and your role in it
Titus is a grizzled old soldier who returns to Rome after a successful military campaign. However, when he executes his enemy’s child in an act of vengeance for the loss of his son, it triggers a terrible series of violent events. It’s a very demanding role but I’m really looking forward performing it in the intimacy of the Dixon Studio. It really is full on stuff, and not for the squeamish. If you like blood and gore then you are in for a real treat!
That’s a tricky one. Too many to name really. I don’t know if I have an absolute favourite as I’ve been incredibly lucky to play so many great roles. Being involved in the SSC has given me so many acting opportunities that many professional actors could only dream of, and I have never taken that for granted.
When was your most embarrassing theatrical moment on or off stage?
I was in an outdoor production of Henry V at Stratford many years ago. I was standing at the top of a steep grassy hill in the darkness, ready to go onstage in a very dramatic moment. However, I managed to lose my footing and slid on my backside right down to the bottom of the hill. Luckily only a few members of the audience noticed. It was pretty spectacular.
How do you earn your living?
I used to work for Lloyds Bank but now I am retired.
Was your theatre career ever useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage roles?
Not really. They were at different ends of the spectrum.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
Yes – pretty much all of my mates are connected with drama in some way, although I keep in contact with old school pals and work colleagues as well.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
I don’t have an all-time favourite, but as far as the stage goes I’ll try and go and see anything with Roger Allam or Simon Russell Beale in it.
What role would you most like to play and why?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. I wouldn't mind having a go at another American play some day. Something modern or gritty maybe. Either that or something really farcical perhaps. I like doing accents if the opportunity arises. I’d also like to do more directing as well.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
Almost, a few times. I was once in an outdoor play where there was a lady with a poodle sitting right at the front. At a certain moment I had to wave a sword at the front row and the poodle made an audible growl. The audience couldn’t stop laughing and the actor I was with had to turn upstage because he had lost it. It was comedy gold, and a lovely moment.
Tell us about your current production of TITUS ANDRONICUS and your role in it
Titus is a grizzled old soldier who returns to Rome after a successful military campaign. However, when he executes his enemy’s child in an act of vengeance for the loss of his son, it triggers a terrible series of violent events. It’s a very demanding role but I’m really looking forward performing it in the intimacy of the Dixon Studio. It really is full on stuff, and not for the squeamish. If you like blood and gore then you are in for a real treat!
Jim in rehearsal
Any plans for the future, after "Titus?”
I’m having a break in the summer. I haven’t thought much after that to be honest.
Any tips to pass on for learning your lines?
No, because I’m rotten at it. I tend to record all of my cues and listen to them over and over which seems to work for me. Eventually I get there, but it definitely gets harder with age!
Any other tricks of the trade to pass on?
Be reliable and don’t turn up late. If you really want to learn about acting go and see as many plays as you can afford. If you see something good that an actor does then steal it, because the chances are that they have already stolen it from somebody else.
I’m having a break in the summer. I haven’t thought much after that to be honest.
Any tips to pass on for learning your lines?
No, because I’m rotten at it. I tend to record all of my cues and listen to them over and over which seems to work for me. Eventually I get there, but it definitely gets harder with age!
Any other tricks of the trade to pass on?
Be reliable and don’t turn up late. If you really want to learn about acting go and see as many plays as you can afford. If you see something good that an actor does then steal it, because the chances are that they have already stolen it from somebody else.