Marcus Brutus led the cast in a superb production.
Appropriately enough, it was Vinnie Jones look-a-like Greg Hicks who portrayed the noblest Roman of all and the archetypal master of putting the boot in.
Ian Hogg's corpulent Caesar and Tim Piggott Smith's Cassius were the other stars of an immaculate RSC production.
As the baying crowd yelled while abseiling from the ceiling and the audience were treated to more blood than was spilled at the original battle of Phillippi, the cast were only in danger of being upstaged by the sets, costumes and special effects.
The backdrops, stark but stylised captured the mood as perfectly as the jackbooted uniforms of Caesar's supposed enemies of democracy.
With the players haring around the audience wielding knives and crowbars, several members of the audience were checking the date on their watches but no need to worry, we were well clear of March.
Only a pedant would point out Caesar appeared to still be breathing well after the Ides and the audience was carried along in a breathtaking ride through the politics of Imperial Rome.
After victory for the far too smug Octavius and Mark Anthony, I look forward to returning for Antony and Cleopatra. My money's on the lad with the greenplumed helmet.
- MH
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