Siblings, servants and September Shakespeare

Septimus is an unique name that means ‘September’ and the month of September has some fascinating facts about it.

September always begins on the same day of the week every year and is separated from December by 91 days. 91 is a multiple of seven which in turn is the number of days in the week . Seven is itself seen in the ‘stars’ as a lucky number and so, it seems the stars have aligned perfectly in seeing actor Septimus Caton in Tasmania, in September for Bell Shakespeare’s production of ‘Comedy of Errors’.

For all of the reliability of the month September beginning on the same day of the week every year, this play is anything but reliable. The play is unusual one. In that Shakespeare visits the theme of not one but two sets of twins!

Shakespeare’s fascination with twins may be due to the fact he himself was father of twins. Twins also is a literary convention that metaphors for duality and for two halves coming together to form a whole.

I spoke to cast member Septimus Caton about the play. It will be Septimus first time in Tasmania and he’s keen to see some of the Tassie forests, MONA, The Theatre Royal, that his fellow cast members have spoken so highly of, and of course … a distillery!

The Comedy of Errors is one of the first of Shakespeare’s plays and the shortest but it’s not short on humour and this version is updated to the present day with the setting somewhere similar to the red light district of Sydney and the plays action takes place in one night rather than one day.

The important themes of brotherhood are explored. Much of the comedy comes from the mistaken identities well lubricated by farce, jokes and slapstick and also the clever word puns we have come to expect from Shakespeare.

Septimus considers the play Shakespeare’s best comedy and it would be hard to disagree with the additions the production have put in, such as Septimus stage wife, reminiscent of a reality show female with ‘big hair and a fake tan’.

You can see ‘Comedy of Errors’ 18th – 21st September at the Theatre Royal.
Paula Xiberras