A Soldier in Every Son - The Rise of the Aztecs
Luis Mario Moncada (Gary Owens)
A Soldier in Every Son - The Rise of the Aztecs
Late 14th century in the Valley of Mexico and a small, unknown tribe called the Aztecs propel themselves from nomadic mercenaries to rulers of a great empire. Passion, power and intrigue play out in this epic political thriller which charts the history of an ancient civilisation.
2.5 out of 5 based on 6 reviews
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Omniscore:
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| Location |
Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Venue |
Swan Theatre |
| Director |
Roxana Silbert |
| Cast |
Brian Ferguson, Mariana Gimenez, Marco Antonio Garcia, David Fielder, John Stahl, Natalie Klamar, Mark Jax, Hector Holten Alex Waldmann |
| From |
June 2012 |
| Until |
July 2012 |
| Box Office |
0844 800 1110 |
| |
Late 14th century in the Valley of Mexico and a small, unknown tribe called the Aztecs propel themselves from nomadic mercenaries to rulers of a great empire. Passion, power and intrigue play out in this epic political thriller which charts the history of an ancient civilisation.
Reviews
The Financial Times
Sarah Hemming
“While it is intriguing to spot the parallels with Shakespeare’s histories, the dialogue misses the poetry, depth and rhetoric of Shakespeare. Reflecting perhaps the pragmatic, warlike nature of many characters, Owen’s script is heavy with Anglo Saxon expletives. But “finally, they’re all fucking dead” lacks something as a victory speech.”
08/07/2012
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The Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish
“Presented on parchment-effect strips of stage and lent atmosphere by live musical accompaniment, the production exudes style even when it lacks dramatic substance. Eloise Kazan’s costumes combine peacockish ostentation, punk-like menace and a palpable death-worship. The ensemble strains valiantly but its efforts are variable: some of the Mexican actors sound horribly newly acquainted with English while a number of the RSC actors might as well have trooped off a tourist coach into the nearest tattoo parlour for all that they properly blend in with the Mesoamerican setting.”
09/07/2012
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The Sunday Times
David Jays
“Offers Camden Lock-style spectacle, with magenta mohicans, turquoise tattoos and feathers, but lacks resonance.”
15/07/2012
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The Guardian
Michael Billington
“Even this game of spot-the-Bard is not much help in hacking one's way through the internal conflicts of the three-headed Mexican empire. And, for all the best efforts of Gary Owen's translation, Moncada's play lacks a vital Shakespearean element: a glimpse of the common people living beyond the blood-soaked circuits of power.”
06/07/2012
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The Independent
Michael Coveney
“The decorative parts, as opposed to the speaking parts, are the best thing in Roxana Silbert’s production: aquamarine hair stubble that looks like bathroom tile mosaics; a parched stage curling like a crusty old poppadom with a removable flap; John Stahl’s Cleopatra head-piece that wobbles hilariously whenever he denounces his enemies in four-lettered fury, which is often.”
06/07/2012
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The Evening Standard
Fiona Mountford
“Just reading the synopsis is enough to make one’s head spin like a big night on the tequila, and the fact that Moncada has compressed his work down from the originally intended trilogy doesn’t aid clarity. Events and characters hurtle past, but there’s almost no psychological insight. If there were soliloquies, though, we’d be here until the end of the world as the Mayans foresaw it.”
06/07/2012
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