Review - Antony and Cleopatra, Swan Theatre, Stratford
Egypt is transported to Haiti in the 18th century in this powerful and memorable show, edited and directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney.
The Romans are empire-building French, the Egyptians are black and the death scenes have voodoo music and dance. It works better than it sounds thanks to some excellent performances.
Why haven't we seen more of Jonathan Cake, the tall, handsome actor with enormous stage presence who bestrides this production as a vibrant, vital Antony? He is perfectly matched, firstly with Joaquina Kalukango as Cleopatra in a coupling seething with sex and jealousy.
No less impressive is his pairing with Samuel Collings as a slight, boyish Octavius Caesar, barely shoulder-high to Antony. This is how empires work. Antony is the mighty, death-dealing warrior but Octavius, flanked by functionaries in the uniforms of the French navy, is the ice-cool imperialist, utterly focused on destroying a rebellion.
The snake deserves a mention, too. There's no flobbering about with giggle-inducing rubber serpents in this show. Cleopatra's asp comes in a tub of water and the illusion works well. This is a co-production between the RSC and two American theatres and the show is at Stratford only until November 30 before transferring to the States for runs in Miami Beach and New York.
Peter Rhodes
