The cast of the gender flipped play, from left: Jessie Lawrence, Sheena Irving, Alison Bruce, Donogh Rees as Caesar, Andrew Laing, Sebastian Holland-Dudding. Photo / Peter Meecham
The cast of the gender flipped play, from left: Jessie Lawrence, Sheena Irving, Alison Bruce, Donogh Rees as Caesar, Andrew Laing, Sebastian Holland-Dudding. Photo / Peter Meecham
Girl power has hit the boards of the Pop-up Globe - with an all-female production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar writing a new chapter in Shakespearean history.
The new take on one of William Shakespeare's most famous works began this week and will run until the end of March.
Director RitaStone said the decision to reverse the genders in this play specifically was deliberate.
"It's probably the manliest play, so why not jump in the deep end," Stone said.
"It's a play about leadership and politics and we want to reflect what's happening in the world," she said.
Jessie Lawrence (Mark Antony) in an upcoming performance of Shakespear's Julius Caesar. Photo / NZ Herald
"There are a lot of women breaking the glass ceiling in the world of politics."
Last year was a big one for women in politics: Jacinda Ardern's meteoric rise in New Zealand, and many in the States - and further afield - who continued to grapple with Hillary Clinton's loss in the race to become American President in 2016.
"It's about holding up a mirror and showing what's happening today."
Previously the Pop-up Globe has used all-male casts even where there are female characters - a move which caused backlash at the time.
In Shakespearean times, only men could become actors.
"Four or 500 years ago, Shakespeare wrote plays for men because it was illegal for women to go on stage," Stone said.
"For all of those hundreds of years, we've been playing catch up."
An all female cast features Donogh Rees (Caesar), alongside Alison Bruce (Cassius), Jessie Lawrence (Mark Antony), Sheena Irving (Brutus). Photo / NZ Herald.
The new Julius Caesar production would be a great one to bring young women to, so they could see women storm the stage in positions of power and playing leading roles, Stone said.
Jessie Lawrence - whose television credits include Why Does Love, Dirty Laundry, the Nothing Trivial telemovie and The Kick - is playing Mark Antony.
She said the gender flip would show how powerful women were in ways traditionally assumed to be masculine.
"Now that it's gender-reversed, it's about the downfall of the patriarchy and the rise of the matriarchy."
