The simmering chemistry of Antony and Cleopatra

"Simmering chemistry": I stole that description from the Evening Standard review of the National Theatre's latest production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, which was recently relayed live at the Watford Palace Theatre. It is certainly an excellent production, using scenery, wardrobe and acting to draw a sharp contrast between Rome, all uniforms and bureaucracy, and Egypt, full of seductive women and sensuality. Sophie Okonedo pulls out all the stops to portray Cleopatra vividly as the moody, demanding, warm, loving and occasionally childish queen while Ralph Fiennes is equally convincing as the old soldier, torn between his duty to the Empire and his love of the queen and the exotic pleasures of her court. Antony and Cleopatra choose each other and die tragically, but defiantly seizing their moment and showing no regret at the end.

This is possibly Shakespeare's most complex play and the current production at the National is the most flowing and coherent I have seen. I speak as one who had a front row seat, occasionally disappearing in dry ice, to watch Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench take on the roles famously in 1987. I also found the filming of the performance at the National to be helpful, taking you in to see the principal actors in close-up at key moments. I have found this off putting in some screenings, where you feel you want to choose where to look on the stage, rather than have a camera do it for you, but in this case, getting to see Fiennes and Okonedo at close quarters was a real bonus, well worth the price of admission.

The accompanying picture is of my Signet Classic 1964 edition of the play, bought when I first saw it performed!