“Julius Caesar holds up a mirror to every society. It’s about potential dictatorships, and what happens when you don’t agree with the people you voted for as democracy slips away, so it couldn’t be more pertinent,” BMH Productions director Ashley Harvey explains when chatting about the upcoming production of Shakespeare’s political thriller at Oxford Castle Prison.
“It’s about being careful what you wish for – what is promised and then not delivered. How many times have we heard that recently?” he asks.
‘It’s about being careful what you wish for – what is promised and then not delivered. How many times have we heard that recently?’
The excitement is already mounting around BMH’s outdoor summer production (June 22-July 4) as the Roman Republic teeters on the brink of collapse. Julius Caesar rises toward absolute power, adored by the masses and feared by those who see tyranny looming. Brutus and Cassius have other ideas and believe that assassination is the only way to save the empire, but once Caesar falls, what happens next and who or what will fill the void?
A good time then to stage Julius Caesar and give it a refresh: “It’s been a really exciting process actually because it’s so gritty and relevant, and works brilliantly at Oxford Castle Prison, once a seat of power, and then a prison where people atoned for their crimes. The building’s size and scale brings a real gravitas to the play, that mix of power and punishment. It adds an extra layer.”
‘The building’s size and scale brings a real gravitas to the play, that mix of power and punishment. It adds an extra layer’
“We are really testing and pushing ourselves with this production – and as it’s full of battles, sword fighting, intrigue, conspiracy and backstabbing, a classic case of ‘evil prospers when good men do nothing’, we hope it’s also a timely reminder of what’s at stake,” Ashley explains.
“But it also forces the audience to think about whose side they’re on in the face of political ambition, mob rule, the abuse of power and the ultimate betrayal.
“So we have been getting the creative juices flowing, because it’s the biggest time of the year for us, and the sets and costumes are amazing – it’s very easy to watch.”
‘It’s easy to do shakespeare’s greatest hits but we wanted to challenge and excite ourselves’
What better way then to celebrate BMH’s 20th anniversary, the local theatre company entertaining us now for decades with their original take on the classics. “Julius Caesar is something we have wanted to stage for a long time. It’s easy to do Shakespeare’s greatest hits but we wanted to challenge and excite ourselves, so this will be the first staging of Julius Caesar for us and at Oxford Castle.
So has Ashley been reflecting on BMH Productions‘ 20 year tenure? “Yes, 20 years has snuck up on us really quickly. We started out in the summer of 2006 at the Jacqueline Du Pre Music Building because we were frustrated by the lack of opportunities for new actors and directors, and decided to stage our own Macbeth – to make our own creative decisions,” he remembers.
“Once we began selling tickets, by the first Saturday they were selling out, and we had to keep putting more chairs in, and that was it.”
So what’s been BMH’s big selling point then? “We try to push the creative envelope every year. BMH is a not for profit company so everything we make goes back into the company, but it’s amazing to think back over the past 20 years and consider the number of people who have watched our plays.
‘it’s amazing to think back over the past 20 years and consider the number of people who have watched our plays’
“There is still an incredibly rich theatrical vein running through Oxford and we have given experience and opportunities to so many young actors trying to break into the industry (Tom Bateman, Emily Berrington and Ellie Fanyinka), so there have been lots of success stories along the way, which is why our alumni are doing cameos every night in Julius Caesar, which will be fun.
“But fundamentally, we love telling stories and our audiences keep coming back to see our shows. Besides, Julius Caesar is fantastically entertaining with such great characters and lots of famous speeches, so people will recognise it even if they haven’t seen it,” Ashley says. “It’s part of our subconscious, so everyone should watch it.”
BMH Productions brings Julius Caesar to Oxford Castle Prison from June 22-July 4 as part of The Oxford Shakespeare Festival https://www.oxfordcastleprison.co.uk/whats-on/bmh-productions-presents-shakespeares-julius-caesar/
