Even if you were a liberal arts major it's easy to skip over this Shakespeare gem, but read Coriolanus and it will contend as a favorite.
So I'm lauding the whole production but just for a moment let's talk about Tom Hiddleston and recall the roles he played in the preceding years.
TH is an actor who skyrocketed to fame playing egoists, and his roles stand in contrast to the figure he presents in real life. This is a man who's led a privileged life but is quick to explain that the opportunities he's been afforded are an accident of birth. Here I paraphrase, but TH has modestly stated that he found an affinity for languages (e.g. Greek) because he was afforded a chance to study them, and ideally, any child should be presented with the same opportunity.
We're talking about a lead actor with an impressive educational pedigree who believes in equality, but man is it fun to see him inhabit the skin of proto-fascist Coriolanus. Just as it's a gas to see him as Loki trying to take over the world, or Hal struggling to transform into Henry.
Caius Martius Coriolanus is a difficult role for any actor; the character is a poor politician. Tom delivers in a big way.
So I'm lauding the whole production but just for a moment let's talk about Tom Hiddleston and recall the roles he played in the preceding years.
TH is an actor who skyrocketed to fame playing egoists, and his roles stand in contrast to the figure he presents in real life. This is a man who's led a privileged life but is quick to explain that the opportunities he's been afforded are an accident of birth. Here I paraphrase, but TH has modestly stated that he found an affinity for languages (e.g. Greek) because he was afforded a chance to study them, and ideally, any child should be presented with the same opportunity.
We're talking about a lead actor with an impressive educational pedigree who believes in equality, but man is it fun to see him inhabit the skin of proto-fascist Coriolanus. Just as it's a gas to see him as Loki trying to take over the world, or Hal struggling to transform into Henry.
Caius Martius Coriolanus is a difficult role for any actor; the character is a poor politician. Tom delivers in a big way.