One of the central commissions of the World Shakespeare Festival and the third in a series of plays known as Nations at War gets its premiere at the RSC in Stratford this week.
A Soldier in Every Son – The Rise of the Aztecs is written by Luis Mario Moncada in Spanish and has been adapted by playwright Gary Owen.
The RSC wanted to stage the play alongside King John and Richard III, the Shakespeare plays which inspired it.
The series explores ambition, power, leadership and family loyalties and betrayals, themes which unite all three plays. They all have a “dynamic political and personal landscape with a really strong emotional centre”.
A Soldier in Every Son – The Rise of the Aztecs covers the three decades from the Aztecs arriving in the valley of Mexico (now Mexico City) as fierce, war-like, nomadic mercenaries to establishing the Aztec Empire, which ruled for 100 years until the Spaniards arrived.
It will be performed by the British actors from King John and Richard III who will be joined by six actors from the National Theatre of Mexico.
The play is a co-production with Compagna Nacional de Teatro de Mexico. The set designer, the costume designer and the composer are from the National Theatre of Mexico and the rest of the creative team is from the UK.
Two Mexican actors and Brian Ferguson, who also plays Buckingham in Richard III, play the three kings.
Roxana Silbert, who is curating the Nations at War series, says, “One thing that Shakespeare has done for us as a nation is to give us a sense of our historical and political background, even though some of the stories are historically inaccurate.
“South American countries, because of the nature of their politics, don't have the same sense of their own political and historical background. I was interested in going to South America and finding someone who was willing to take Shakespeare as inspiration.”
She worked with Luis Mario Moncada when she was at the Royal Court Theatre.
“He loves Shakespeare and had already written a play inspired by King John. It was an extraordinary coincidence that we were both looking for responses to Shakespeare.
“These plays are set in the 15th century but they say much about contemporary Mexico.
“The play is based on historical truth. There are some invented characters, but basically it’s a pretty accurate telling of the stories.
“The Aztecs were hilarious—they invented things like chocolate, for which I’m eternally grateful! For that reason alone, I think we should celebrate them.”
A Soldier In Every Son – The Rise of the Aztecs runs in the Swan Theatre from Friday (29 June) until Saturday, 28 July, with press night on Thursday, 5 July.