Words: Kiera Harper
Image: Simon Lazewski

5 Stars

JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW, written by Joy Nesbitt, is a bold play set in an audition room during the 2023 Dublin riot with a black actor, a woman actor and a straight white male actor all auditioning for a role in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. In keeping with its tragedy label, this play is brutal, tension filled and rife with ethical questions. From the director’s unconventional style to the discussions around inclusive casting and the differing opinions on diversity in the theatre industry, the JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW is deeply complex and gripping.

Joy Nesbitt’s writing skilfully depicts the casual racism, sexism and classism encountered in daily life, especially within the arts, where people can stand behind creation to excuse their actions. This show manages to blend fiction with fact in its reality based approach, with the audience at times being taken off guard by the play’s ability to go from lightness to aggression so quickly. This is a credit to the writing and the performances of the five actors, whose characters, at the beginning, are civil and friendly but, by the end, are driven by anger and fuelled by the tension of the protests outside the audition room. This play will strike a chord with creatives who live between reality and fiction in their jobs, where the two slowly blend until they can’t tell which is which, as reflected by the characters in this show who are slowly driven to madness.

JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW will stick with you, causing you to question your complicity for not speaking up in similar scenarios. This is a messy, truthful, boundary pushing piece of new writing you won’t want to miss.

JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW 
Red Lecture Theatre at Summerhall
16:45 
6^th – 31^st August (no performances on the 17^th and 24^th)