Julius Caesar has been a popular Shakespeare play for the last four centuries. The Elizabethans were fascinated by the man which provided historical insights into political issues of their time.

The play enjoyed success in the 18th century with Thomas Betterton, the 19th century with William Charles Macready and Beerbohm Tree. However the play notably disappeared from production in times of political disquiet such as the English Civil War (when the theatres were closed) and from 1780 to 1812 when there may have been fears that the ideas of the French revolution may spread to the UK.

In the 20th century Julius Caesar appeared on celluloid in the 1953 film starring John Gielgud, Marlon Brando and Greer Garson.

The RSC has also produced Julius Caesar many times. We explore two contrasting productions of the play: the 1972 production by Trevor Nunn and the 1993 production by David Thacker. Click on the links to discover more.