Troilus and Cressida

What a fabulous start to the International Festival. One of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays is given a new lease of life, with a production as epic as the Trojan war demands, faultless acting from the RSC and superlative direction by Peter Stein. Troilus running for a full fortnight may have been a risky prospect, even with a copious amount of flesh on display, but this deserves to be a huge success.

Interestingly, the staging has something in common with the Lyceum's staging of As you like it earlier this year. In this case, however, it does not just signify a change of scene but serves to broaden the play's focus (most notably in the second half, when scenes with over a dozen characters are frequent). The lovers' intimacy cannot possibly be maintained when the outside world threatens their relationship, and the staging reflects this - just as trumpets manage to impinge on Paris and Helen's lovemaking, even if they swap fanfares for a Miles Davis vein.

At three-and-a-half hours long, this does require a good attention span but is very much worth the effort. Not to be missed.

Troilus and Cressida is on at the King's Theatre (Leven St) from Monday 14th to Saturday 26th August. Phone the EIF box office (0131 473 2000) for details.

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