Portia's Julius Caesar by Kaitlyn Riordan, adapted from William Shakespeare

$14.00

'Portia's Julius Caesar' finds best friends, Portia and Calpurnia, married to two of the most powerful men in Rome, Brutus and Caesar. With a baby in arms, Portia is struggling to define her new role as a Mother, while Calpurnia is making offerings to the gods, in hopes of becoming pregnant for the first time. Meanwhile, Rome is teetering on the brink of becoming a monarchy, with Caesar’s sights set on being a King. Welcoming Brutus' Mother, Ceasar's mistress, and a slew of other female characters into the story, themes of fertility, loyalty, and the price we pay for our beliefs are explored in this female centred re-imagining of Shakespeare’s 'Julius Caesar'.

“Half the script is Riordan’s own writing; the other half is drawn from 17 Shakespeare plays including Julius Caesar, four sonnets, and a poem. Her achievement in weaving this all together so it comes across as a single, and credibly Elizabethan, voice is considerable…”
 Karen Fricker, Toronto Star

3.5/4 stars and named one of Toronto's Top Shows of 2018

Keywords: Women, Fertility, Female Friendships, Ancient Rome, Shakespeare

Genre: Drama, Hybrid Adaptation

Running time: 100 minutes

Acts: 5

Cast: 8 actors (maximum 20, minimum 8)

Note: This play can be done with a great number of gender and non-binary combinations of actors, see script cast list for possible break-downs.

Male roles: 7

Female roles: 10

Doubled roles: 6

Suitable for students aged 16+

First produced by Shakespeare in the Ruff, 2018

Also produced at Hart House Theatre, November 15 - 30, 2019

Cover art:

Actor: Christine Horne

Graphic Designer: Michael Barker