Antony and Cleopatra

‘She who cares least, laughs last’ is a truly appalling attempt at a proverb for sexual politics. In successful long-term relationships the balance of power between the two parties subtly shifts as the attraction ebbs and flows over time. These fluctuations must necessarily occur within fairly well defined preset limits or the relationship founders: the idea is to allow each to flourish but not at the expense of the other.

There is nothing long-term about any of the relationships in Shakespeare’s trio of plays about doomed lovers and Friar Laurence’s prediction to Romeo: “they stumble that run fast” comes equally true for Troilus and Antony. Romeo and Troilus have all the impetuosity of youth to excuse their folly but Antony is old enough to know better in Michael Boyd’s RSC production currently at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford.

It is obvious from the very first scene that the Roman triumvirate will never hold together: Sandy Neilson renders the - usually thankless - role of Lepidus a sort of avuncular John Prescott, caught between John Mackay’s slick Caesar and Darrell D’Silva’s full-blooded Antony. With the exception of a rounded turret, some fussy blocks and a sort of pointless pulley system the costumes are the set and designer Tom Piper has a lot of fun with Cleopatra and her women’s outfits.

Some rousing battle scenes and manly chest thumping aside, this production belongs to Kathryn Hunter’s Cleopatra: every inch an Egyptian Queen as opposed to an English rose with a black bobbed wig. Hunter delivers a moving, nuanced performance and, with her strong features and almost painful grace, it is as easy to see why Antony falls for her as to imagine what she must have been in her salad days. D’Silva seems to struggle to summon the same levels of passion that Hunter shows for his Antony but perhaps ‘twas ever thus and, at the last, neither one is laughing.

Boyd has conjured a world in which politics and passion make uneasy bedfellows and the result is very much a tragedy of last not first love.

Antony and Cleopatra

Stratford-upon-Avon
Antony and Cleopatra plays in repertoire at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 28 August 2010.

Access performances
Audio described performances on 26 June and 25 August

Additional information
Public understudy performance on 21 June

Newcastle
Antony and Cleopatra transfers to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 October 2010.

Access performances
Audio described performance on 13 October
Captioned performance on 14 October

London
Antony and Cleopatra transfers to the Roundhouse in London from 8 December.

Access performances
Audio described performance on 18 December
Captioned performance on 18 December

Running time
The running time for Antony and Cleopatra is 3 hours and 30 minutes including a 20 minute interval.

The RSC Ensemble is generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION.