by William Shakespeare. Directed by Olivia Chakraborty.
Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 June and
Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 June at 7.30pm
Matinées on Saturdays 20 and 27 June at 3pm.
At the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Same ambition. Same betrayal. Different century.
Step into a volatile republic on the brink, where ambition crackles in the air and truth is a currency no one can afford to spend. This modern staging of Julius Caesar strips away the noise of the contemporary world to focus on the raw, human machinery of power – alliances forged in dim corridors and the restless pulse of a society on edge.
Here, the crowd is a living organism—breathing, roaring, and turning with frightening speed—its presence felt in every decision the characters make. Expect stark staging, a driving soundscape, and a stripped-down theatrical energy that magnifies the play’s political urgency. As knives are sharpened and loyalties fracture, this production asks: in a world ruled by charisma, rumour, and spectacle, who truly shapes the fate of a nation?
Buy Tickets
Wednesday 17 June at 7.30pm
Thursday 18 June at 7.30pm
Friday 19 June at 7.30pm
Saturday 20 June at 3pm
Saturday 20 June at 7.30pm
Tuesday 23 June at 7.30pm
Wednesday 24 June at 7.30pm
Thursday 25 June at 7.30pm
Friday 26 June at 7.30pm
Saturday 27 June at 3pm
Saturday 27 June at 7.30pm
Running time: 2hrs 35mins including 15min interval. Age Guidance: 14+. Content Advice
Cast
Julius Caesar : Zac Sargusingh
Triumvirs after the death of Caesar
Mark Antony : Joe Davidson
Octavius Caesar : Simon Billington
M Aemilius Lepidus : Louisa Shindle
Cicero, a senator : Michael Hopkins
Publius : Sarah Afriyie
Popilius Lena, a senator : Tom Brennan
Conspirators against Julius Caesar
Marcus Brutus : Arthur O’Kelly
Cassius : James Collins
Casca : Simon Billington
Trebonius : Sam Horan
Decius Brutus : James Stephen Finn
Metellus Cimber : Femi Davies
Cinna : Jenny Jou
Flavius, a tribune : James Stephen Finn
Marullus, a tribune : Simon Billington
Artemidorus : Michael Hopkins
A Soothsayer : Louisa Shindle
Friends to Brutus and Cassius
Lucilius : Michael Hopkins
Titinius : Tom Brennan
Messala : James Stephen Finn
Young Cato : Femi Davies
Clitus : Sam Horan
Lucius, servant to Brutus : Tom Brennan
Pindarus : Sam Horan
Calpurnia, wife to Caesar : Rebecca Hill
Portia, wife to Brutus : Sarah Afriyie
Servant to Octavius Caesar : Jenny Jou
First soldier : Jenny Jou
Second soldier : Rebecca Hill
Servant to Mark Antony : Rebecca Hill
Messenger : Rebecca Hill
Cobbler : Tom Brennan
Carpenter : Femi Davies
Plebeians : Louisa Shindle, Rebecca Hill, Sam Horan, Femi Davies, James Stephen Finn, Michael Hopkins, Tom Brennan
Production Team
Director : Olivia Chakraborty
Set Design : Jude Chalk and Freya Alexander
Costume Design : Kathleen Morrison, Zoe George, and Carmen Loira
Lighting Design : Nick Insley
Sound Design : Matthew Ibbotson and Olivia Chakraborty
Stage Managers : Ely DeSandoli and Azul Alysum
Assistant Director : Alexios Venieris
Lighting Operator : Teni Gomez
Sound Operator : Ollie Wimbush or Matthew Ibbotson
Set Construction and Get-in : Emma Brown, Max Maxwell, Keith Syrett, Rob Hebblethwaite, Alix Bourdeaux, Dina Benderra, Archie Horton, Gary O’Keefe, Eliza Insley, Phillip Ley, Fabrel Pàrraga-Michitsch
Fight Co-ordinator : Lindsay Royan
Photography by Marc Gascoigne
 Zac Sargusingh is delighted to be appearing for the first time at the Tower Theatre. Following training at Arts Educational School Zac toured nationally in the productions Josephine (Johnny Manns Productions), Flowers and Slaves (YNTT) and appeared as the husband in the UK premier of Mariage Blanc on the Fringe. Zac’s television appearances include EastEnders, Holby City and Judge John Deed. Outside of acting Zac enjoys playing tennis and golf. |
 Arthur O’Kelly studied theatre at the University of Exeter (2021) and is currently training with the London Meisner Company. He appeared as Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham in the Tower Theatre’s production of Flare Path last year. Other recent roles include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labours Lost (2024) with the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. |
 Julius Caesar is James Collins‘ third show for the Tower having also played Helmut in Festen and Ned Allyn in Shakespeare in Love. A BA Acting graduate from Arts Educational Schools London James has appeared in many plays; notably Cloten in Cymbeline, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Michael in Immaculate, the Lawyer for defence in Machinal and Nick in What the Butler Saw. James has also appeared in several musicals and operas including Leo Bloom in The Producers, Rafe Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore, the tenor soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and chorus in Don Giovanni, Il Trovatore, Un Ballo in Maschera and L’Elisir D’Amore. James is an artistic director for New Tricks Theatre company, for which he was co author and director of the play Back to Where. |
 Julius Caesar marks Joe Davidson‘s third production with the Tower Theatre. A long-time performer and an English Literature graduate, Joe has a soft spot for Shakespeare and has previously acted as Duke Orsino/Maria in Twelfth Night, Macbeth in Macbeth, Ferdinand in The Tempest, Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, and Edgar in King Lear among other roles. He is excited to be joining the cast on this ambitious production and is eager to honour the role of Mark Antony. |
 Simon Billington is a Priest, trained actor, director and all-round theatre enthusiast. This is his first production with the Tower. Recent productions in Oxford include The Three Musketeers (The Story Museum), the one-man show Scaramouche Jones (St Barnabas Church), Dr Jekyll in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Pitt Rivers Museum), Macbeth (Director, Oxford Theatre Guild) and Nicholas Nickleby (Oxford Playhouse). Before moving to Oxford, Simon worked nationwide in both classic and children’s theatre and is thrilled to be involved in this production. |
 This is Rebecca Hill‘s seventh production with the Tower, having previously played Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice, Mary in Our Country’s Good and Miss Drill in The Worst Witch. Rebecca is looking forward to performing in Julius Caesar in a modern day Londinium! |
 This is Sarah Afriyie‘s second performance at the Tower after appearing in the magical Rapunzel last December! Sarah has always loved and been involved in performing arts since childhood and adolescence but, after some time away, has recently come back to the world of acting and pursued further training; previously with Identity school of Acting, Stella Adler Art of Acting as well as completing her Acting diploma at CSSD. |
 Michael Hopkins is appearing in his third show at the Tower Theatre, following Shakespeare in Love and The Secret Garden last year. Prior to joining the Tower Theatre he was an active member of theatre groups in North and East London over many years, in roles as diverse as Polonius (Hamlet), Pastor Manders (Ghosts), Tim (Ten Times Table), Stephen Blackpool (Hard Times) and Chanticleer (The Canterbury Tales). More recently he has appeared in group-devised productions with the Park Theatre Company, Finsbury Park, and has also acted in versions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Widows and The Crucible. He has long been a fan of Julius Caesar (the play, that is) and is delighted finally to realise his ambition of appearing in it. |
 Tomás Brennan appears as Cobbler, Lucius, Titinius and Popilius Lena. This is his first production at the Tower Theatre. Previous credits include Gundog at the South London Theatre, and he has experience across radio, stage, and screen. He is a huge lover of Shakespeare and delighted to be a part of this company. |
 Julius Caesar is James Stephen Finn‘s third performance at the Tower after having acted in Brighton Rock earlier this year and in After Life in 2025. James is an actor and musician, trained at Salon Collective and specialising in Meisner Technique and Practical Aesthetics, who has previously performed in theatrical plays, radio plays and art performances. As a musician he composes, records and performs live with Band Of Holy Joy. The band also produce the weekly live radio show Bad Punk on Resonance FM. |
 Femi Davies is an actor from Hackney, East London who has been fortunate to be a part of the Tower Theatre Company during the past 2 years, including his most recent appearance as Queequeg in an adaptation of Moby Dick. He has trained with Identity School of Acting, Middleweek Newton Academy, the Court Theatre Training Company, and also has experience in short films and stand-up comedy. Femi hopes to witness a miracle take place on stage as he, his cast and production team, attempt to adapt and revive the timely tale of Julius Caesar and, “feed the five thousand” as it were, with the few roles they have been privileged to have been given. |
 Sam Horan is a musician and budding actor based in London. He is currently performing as a folk singer-songwriter under his own name. Upon joining the Tower in April he was cast in Julius Caesar, and he recently starred in a short-film. He is from Cornwall and likes to surf and travel in his spare time. |
 Having trained in ballet and theatre until the age of eighteen, Jenny Jou returned to performance after a long hiatus. She recently completed her training at the Identity School of Acting and has since joined the Tower. Alongside acting, she writes short films and works across commercial projects. She makes her debut with the company in Julius Caesar, her first Shakespeare production. |
 Louisa Shindle joined the Tower Theatre in 2007. Her acting and singing credits include Rapunzel, The Railway King, Under Milk Wood, Harvey, Sherlock Holmes, Princess Ivona, Terrorism, The Trial, The Sea, Hay Fever and Taking Steps (Tower Theatre), The Crucible and Gormenghast (SEDOS) and The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro (Harrow Opera). She is delighted to be cast in Shakespeare’s brilliant, timeless and timely play. |
 This is Olivia Chakraborty‘s third production with the Tower Theatre; previous directing credits include Staying Alive, A Doll’s House, Mind Your Language, The Merchant of Venice, Two Billion Beats etc. She is constantly on the hunt for scripts by emerging playwrights focussed on social issues and stuff “less talked about”. Olivia likes actors to find their own vision of the characters they play — “make it your own, how does this make you feel; how would you have reacted?” and loves showcasing intricate relationships between these characters that go beyond spoken words, through sound, light and movement. |