Nestled quietly in the heart of Melbourne CBD and down flights of old wooden stairs, one may be able to find a Shakespearean slice of ancient Egypt and Rome. The Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s (MSC) production of Antony and Cleopatra ran from the 20^th of August until the 13^th of September in the Fortyfivedownstairs theatre. Adapted from the original play text by director Sonya Suares with a run time of an hour and a half, the production is a minimalist and shortened capture of the famous Shakespearean tragedy. 

Antony and Cleopatra opens with the two lovers (played by Louis Lucente and Akina Edmonds) lazing their days away in luxury within Egypt. Amidst unrest, Antony returns to Rome to meet with his joint rulers Octavius Cesar and Lepidus: he marries Octavius’ sister, Octavia, but is unable to forget his Egyptian queen and returns to Egypt. Betrayed, Octavius declares war against Antony and defeats him twice, and, believing Cleopatra has betrayed him, vows to get his revenge. To protect herself, Cleopatra falsely reports her suicide. Unable to handle his grief, Antony stabs himself but learns she is still alive and finds her, only to die in her arms. When Octavius plans to parade Cleopatra as a prisoner of war in the streets of Rome, she poisons herself with a hidden Asp fang and dies with Antony. 

Each member of the ensemble brought a commanding stage presence and excellent artistic takes on their characters. Suffering from the cliché “tragic hero” syndrome typical of Shakespearean plays, Antony functions as another Romeo—only much less lovesick and more lust-sick with a compulsion for anger and, at times, behaving a bit like a fool. Lucente had his hands full with bringing an easily caricatured character to life: squaring his shoulders like a soldier, and keeping his chin high like a diplomat, Lucente used his body well to hold Antony’s personality, only softening before his beloved Cleopatra. It was this softening and the well-thought chemistry between Lucente and Edmonds that made Antony someone the audience wanted to succeed. Edmonds also had a task before her. Cleopatra is a focal point of feminist discourse both in modern society and within this hundreds-year-old play text. Edmonds’ naturally spicy attitude had a superb way of washing over the stage, drawing the eye of each member of the crowd. She portrayed Cleopatra well, angled to show the results of her misfortune and how she was not wholly at fault for the end that befell her. 

Can those unable to truly rely on the complexities of Shakespearean English still find enjoyment and understanding through the skills of the actors? My criticism for this cast lies here, in what, I believe, is the key to a magnificent reproduction of Shakespearean theatre. For the most part, I would say this was well achieved, however, when it came to moments of high intensity, the volume and rate of speech increased, becoming the killer to a couple of otherwise deeply engaging scenes. Whilst the ensemble was bang on the drama required for a Shakespearean tragedy, a lack of diction and clarity could cause audiences to tune out as they don’t believe they will understand what is being said. 

An unsuspecting standout performer, for me, was Tony Rive standing in for Jennifer Vuletic as Agrippa. Whilst I would have loved to have seen Vuletic’s take on the character, Rive had an unmissable stage presence. In his first entrance with Damon Baudin (Octavius), I mistakenly took him for Octavius instead of Octavius’ trusted general. The way he carried himself and the stern and deceptive look he adapted made Rive undoubtedly the actor whose performance I felt most drawn-in to. Despite only having been a part of the production for a shorter period than it had been performed, Rive blended in perfectly and stood out greatly.

Another couple of honourable mentions included Tsungirai Wachenuka (playing Charmian, a narrator and handmaid to Cleopatra) and Mark Yeates (playing Lepidus and Proculeius, one of Octavius’ diplomats). Wachenuka had an excellent air of wisdom and mystery for her character and Yeates provided a most commendable comic relief; I only wish we had experienced more of his comedic bits. Baudin was perfectly cast as Octavius, providing an unassuming villain attitude which I thought perfectly suited the slimy politician. 

It is difficult in theatre to decide what parts of Shakespeare to leave in and take out to create a more digestible experience, but this production of Antony and Cleopatra had it nailed. Suares’ vision for this Shakespearean adaptation was well-delivered and well-paced: the minimalistic set expertly overtook the space using large, sail-like drapes of fabric, thick black curtains and risers painted and decorated to look like sandstone. Whilst the set lent itself well to Egypt and the Pyramids of Giza, it struggled to invoke images of Ancient Rome. The lighting changes between settings—a warm yellow of Egypt and stark white for Rome—I found, rather reflected the white buildings of Greece. The soundscapes were also placed carefully within scenes, appearing at exactly the right moments to avoid that oh too familiar “oh music” thought one may have at the theatre. My only criticism here was that for the small and intimate space, the volume was too much for an audience seated on risers close to the ceiling-hung speakers.

I found this production of Antony and Cleopatra to be an engaging and entertaining reproduction of one of Shakespeare’s greatest. While a couple of tweaks could be made, these did not at all inhibit my ability to enjoy this work of theatre. This was a bite-sized and artistic take on Shakespeare, starring incredible actors who draw you into the worlds of Ancient Rome and Egypt. I look forward to seeing another MSC production soon.