From the Oxford Student:

Written in the 1620s by the little-known playwright Philip Massinger, The Roman Actor has only recently been given stage space by professional theatre companies. The latest production has been by the RSC in 2002, with Anthony Sher in the central role of the Emperor Dominitian Caesar. The play cleverly mixes acting with reality and in Guy Westwood’s production the audience sit on either side of the stage, in a formation faintly mimetic of a Roman amphitheatre.

The set is minimalist but the structural pillars of the Pilch theatre make the setting more convincingly Classical in tone. As a director Guy Westwood has some interesting ideas and a noble cause to promote, as he views the play as an opportunity to get “a number of enthusiastic young Balliolites involved in Oxford drama.” However there is not always subtlety in his direction and opportunities for more inventive interpretation have been lost.

Simon Morgan falls somewhat short of the director’s intention of a “flamboyant, amiable Paris” with his nervous physical disposition and his twitching distracting rather than engaging. It is difficult to believe that this Paris would be the object of any noble lady’s amorous desires, particularly as he lapses into a ‘naughty schoolboy’ attitude when confronted by Caesar in the penultimate scene.

Neil Ashdown is more than faintly reminiscent of Ray Winstone in his interpretation of the role of Emperor Dominitian Caesar. His heavy, slightly earthy vocal intonation is supported with a strong physical presence throughout, behind which sexual undertones are palpable to the audience and his role as a man of power is convincingly portrayed. Domitia (Megan Murray-Pepper) is unfortunately not a fair match for her husband in terms of acting conviction.

Her voice can become monotonous in its almost unvarying intonation and her supposed passion for Paris is never truly believable. Although she makes good use of her eyes and feminine wiles in her seduction scene, on the whole her performance lacks passion and purpose. This production has the uneasy air of the schoolroom about it.

Perhaps this is partly due to the youthful nature of both cast and director, almost all of whom are first years, and it is apparent that the performance lacks something in terms of balance. However the play is competently put together and one could do worse than spend an hour or so in the company of these Roman actors.

It's kind of disheartening to see an Oxford student write "Dominitian" for Domitian (twice) ... and for it to get past an editor too. In any event, I couldn't find a copy of the play on the net, but here's an article about it which provides some food for thought.