It's a couple of years since Cheek by Jowl brought a new production to London, and four since their Russian company - whose
Tempest made my Top 10 shows of 2011 and remains memorable - were here. This time they're showing the first of this year's competing
Measure for Measures, and it's one that the upcoming productions will surely find it hard to beat. Vienna is governed by strict morality laws, but having allowed them to lapse during two decades in charge, the Duke (Alexander Arsentyev) doesn't think he can enforce them himself, so pretends to leave the city, actually disguising himself as a friar. He leaves the running of the city to Angelo (Andrei Kuzichev,) who does indeed crack down immediately on vice. But in his very first high-profile case Angelo's moral highground is compromised.
