Antony & Cleopatra (NT)

He's paved the way for milk snake superstars. A groundbreaking performer.

I really think they should replace them all with dummies. I apologise to the people either side or in front of me in advance lest I should vomit on them. Giving them cute names doesn't make them any less evil.

He seems to be playing it American .... I assume that's a deliberate choice.

I wonder why they don’t use an animatronic snake? They could make it slither all over the stage and stuff. I’ve seen a delightful animatronic pig in a play and an animatronic bull in that Carmen deconstruction written by Simon Stephens. So, why not a snake? I was very impressed by the way the actors handled the live snakes however, although it was a bit Carry on Cleo-ish when the actor let the snake bite her then rushed off stage to give it back to the handler before coming back on to do her dying scene.

Valid comment. Is the tip the bum? Where does it start? Curious minds need to know!

Also Ralph rides his bike to work, I now have an image of “snake of the day” hitching a lift in the basket

Thanks for the seat tip - even at my height, centre row A was fine, and much more legroom in the centre than at the row A edges due to the curve. I heard people in row C complaining about the lack of rake! I like reptiles a lot (used to have lizards) but if you don't, sit further back.

I liked A & C, the staging - sort of 70s Middle East - and most of the supporting cast, though I'm still not mad on the play itself. I thought this was because we had to do it at school and uni, or maybe that it was something I'd 'get' in later life, but no, and I think it needed more speed, especially in the expositiony bits, of which there are plenty. 

I reviewed it over on my site, please I need the hits viewfromthecheapseat.com/2018/09/30/antony-and-cleopatra-olivier-theatre/

I couldn't warm to it, maybe I am being dense but I wasn't sure from this production what the relationships were. I suspect that if I hadn't seen Julius Caesar and Imperium this year I would have had to skim read my programme. I wasn't entirely convinced by the chemistry from Okenodo and Fiennes, there should be raw sex on stage instead we get a few light kisses here and there. I got impression they were fond of each other but not enough to kill themselves over each other.

I am not sure what Tunij Kasim has on someone but he is not ready to be Caesar or for roles that require gravitas. He sounded like he was reading lines with no understanding of what they meant. There was no passion in this production and closest anyone came was Tim McMullan, who rescued this production at times. I felt he had more chemistry with Katy Stephen's Agrippa than Ant and Cleo did.

It can afford to have so much cut, do we need to see that battle scene or does Simon Godwin just want to show off his combat directing skills? It is a shame because in a good production this could be a celebration of love in the age of conflict.

I will leave you this; I didn't think Fiennes was as Rossiter-like (His Egypt outfit was something Marvin Gaye would have worn in his Sexual Healing era though) as I had seen him in the past but a man behind me as we were leaving went "Oooh Miss Jones" so I think I am finally immune to his ways now

Best line in Carry On Cleo is from Kenneth Williams as Julius Caesar: 

 

I overheard some Americans complaining about it, though I didn't think it was that bad (see Aristocrats thread for a really bad one).

Has anyone ever seen a truly enjoyable production of this play? I'm not saying 'good' because I have a feeling it's a silk purse out of sow's ear situation. It's not really that good a play, is it? The characters as written aren't convincing, and there's a hell of a lot of boring stuff between the good bits.

The 2014 Globe Theatre production was the best I’ve seen with Eve Best giving a hilarious but poignant performance. Kathryn Hunter was pretty good in the Michael Boyd one.

Otherwise yeah it’s an uneven drawn out play where you don’t see the lovers together for most of the first half and the ending can go on for an eternity. If you’re unlucky to see a production that is average at best it will drag. The Ivo Van Hove version (despite a great leading pair) and last years RSC production spring to mind

Significantly that line wasn’t written for the film at all, it was written by Frank Muir and Dennis Norden (who died a few days ago) for the radio series “Take It From Here” years before and was borrowed (with their permission) for the film.

The play is definitely ready to end after Antony cops it, but blame Shakespeare for that

There is some truly moving language ("this pine is bark'd that overtopped them all" unexpectedly made me burst into tears when Fiennes said it - no idea why!! And then I remained crying for a good chunk of the final act, like a lemon), and a LOT of politicking, but I don't think the play is bad, as such. It just requires a bloody-mindedness to concentrate on it.

Incidentally I think the length of the current production prevents it being a full five-star production. So much can get the chop from the final two acts to make it pacier - otherwise you are sat around waiting for Cleopatra to get on with it.