As 2014 marks the centenary year of the
First World War, it seems entirely fitting that there’s currently a significant
increase in interest surrounding the conflict. The BBC’s World War One season
is starting to gain traction, with documentaries and dramas either already
aired or in the pipeline for the coming months. It’s not only the television
that’s seizing the moment: the theatre world is joining in too.
Booking tickets to see Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse was almost as stressful as last
minute exam revision. Within 28 minutes of the box office opening the entire
run had sold out in a frenzied fight over limited seats. Somewhere in amongst
frantic refreshing I managed to secure what felt like a golden ticket, and had
I not been on the ball I certainly wouldn’t have been so lucky. It was well
worth the stress, though, as Josie Rourke’s Coriolanus
proved to be a gripping and intense production with a powerhouse performance
from man of the hour, Tom Hiddleston.
