What: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
When: May 22 to 31, 2025
Where: Artscape Arena, Cape Town
Cast: Fiona Ramsay (Julius Caesar), Marcel Meyer (Brutus), Matthew Baldwin (Cassius), Tailyn Ramsamy (Marc Antony), Nkosinathi Mazai (Casca) and Thinus Viljoen (Octavius Caesar)
Director: Fred Abrahamse
Original score: Jaco Griessel
Set and costume design: Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer
Lighting: Faheem Bardien
Approximate running time: 100 minutes with no interval
Age restriction: No under 16s – partial nudity and intense depictions of violence
Bookings: Webtickets Book here  

Abrahamse & Meyer Productions are known for their innovative and conceptual productions of the Bard’s works. They are re-imagining Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, in which gender is a “mutable force” in Cape Town at Artscape, May 22 to 31, 2025. Caesar is a woman (performed by Fiona Ramsay) and this “offers a powerful lens through which to examine authority, charisma, and political legacy.” Ramsay also plays Elizabeth I. Read on for more about this intriguing adaption:

William Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR Comes to Life in a Bold New Production at the Artscape Theatre

The timeless political thriller JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare returns to the stage in a thrilling and provocative new production at the Artscape Arena. Directed by the acclaimed Fred Abrahamse, this reimagined staging will captivate audiences with its bold concept, innovative design, and powerhouse performances from a stellar cast.


Leading the ensemble is multi-award-winning actress Fiona Ramsay in the title role of Julius Caesar—recast through a fascinating dual lens as both the Roman general and England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Her performance promises to bring a layered gravitas to the iconic character. She is joined by Marcel Meyer as the tormented Brutus, Matthew Baldwin as the scheming Cassius, Tailyn Ramsamy as the impassioned Marc Antony, Nkosinathi Mazai as the sharp-tongued Casca, and Thinus Viljoen as the youthful Octavius Caesar.

The production embraces the timelessness of Shakespeare’s political masterpiece by simultaneously setting the play in three interwoven periods:

  • 1599, the year Shakespeare penned the work against the backdrop of the Essex Rebellion;
  • 44 BC, the historical setting of Caesar’s assassination;
  • and 2025, reflecting the modern era and the enduring relevance of the themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal.

This layering of time periods enriches the play’s commentary on leadership, ambition, and the cyclical nature of history, reminding audiences that the struggles for power and justice are as current today as they were in ancient Rome or Elizabethan England.

Further deepening this reinterpretation is an exploration of gender as a mutable force—casting a woman as Caesar offers a powerful lens through which to examine authority, charisma, and political legacy. In turn, the traditionally female roles of Portia and Calpurnia are portrayed by male actors, further challenging conventional gender binaries and amplifying the production’s interrogation of identity, power, and societal roles. This bold casting underlines the universality of Shakespeare’s characters and themes and reinforces the idea that power and vulnerability are not confined to one gender.

The creative team behind this production is a tour de force: Fred Abrahamse directs with vision and precision, with a haunting original score by Jaco Griessel. Set and costume design is by Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer, creating a visually rich world that blurs eras while maintaining striking historical detail. Lighting by Faheem Bardien underscores the production’s psychological depth and dramatic tension.

Adding to the production’s visceral impact are scenes set in an ancient Roman bath—a place where, in Roman society, all men were momentarily equals regardless of class or status. These scenes are not only historically authentic but thematically potent, symbolizing the illusions of democracy and the fragility of societal balance. Please note, due to partial nudity and intense depictions of violence, there is a No Under 16 age restriction.

The production runs from May 22 to 31, 2025 with evening performances at 19:00, and Saturday matinees on May 24 and 31 at 15:00. The approximate running time is 100 minutes with no interval.

Ticket prices range from R180 to R300, available through Webtickets:
👉 Book here


Don’t miss this daring reimagining of Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR—a production that spans centuries, redefines power, and speaks directly to our time.

✳ Fiona Ramsay as Elizabeth I and as Julius Caesar in a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Artscape, May 2025. Pic: Fiona MacPherson. Sponsored content. Images supplied.