THEATRE REVIEW: Antony and Cleopatra
27.01.2022 PumpHouse Outdoor Amphitheatre
I don’t consider myself a huge Shakespeare fan. I visited his grave in Stratford-Upon-Avon when I was twelve and found the laminated placard mildly anticlimactic. My favourite theatre show is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, mostly due to the flare pants and feather boas. The only thing I remember from my university Shakespeare course is the iambic pentameter — and an inability to understand the entirety of Act Four of A Winter’s Tale. However, I’ve recently learnt that a single show is all it takes to change your mind.
Shoreside Theatre’s Antony and Cleopatra was my watershed moment. The stage direction was dynamic, the lighting captivating, and the weight of the performance carried effortlessly by every actor on stage. It simply clicked. This, I believe, is the greatest achievement of any work of art: convert the sceptic into a fan.
Antony and Cleopatra is not one of Shakespeare’s easy plays. It’s a complex layering of comedy, tragedy, melodrama, history. To capture its essence is almost impossible — most attempts end up as dissatisfying as a bad Madame Tussauds wax figure. But Shoreside Theatre proves there’s exceptions to the rule. Director Jason Moffatt expertly pulls off a brilliant, polished production from start to finish. Every detail is considered carefully. The transition between Egypt and Italy, for example, is resolved by swiftly turning the chaise’s pillows around. Antony is introduced draped in a red-trimmed toga, matching Octavius Caesar, but ends the play in a blue tunic, signalling their transition from co-leaders to enemies. Some of the lesser scenes are trimmed, giving more space for the main events to unfold. Small but deliberate changes like these improves the play’s accessibility, making it so you don’t have to understand Shakespearean verse to understand what’s going on. Despite the wide age range, every member of the audience was hooked; a testament, I think, to a high-quality translation.
I was pleasantly surprised at the cast’s adeptness. The script flowed naturally, and the actors manoeuvred around the stage fluidly. It was easy to tell how much rehearsal had been undertaken for the performance. As is the way of theatre, a perfect performance is near unattainable, yet any hitches were quickly smoothed over and stumbled lines were few and far between (I think I counted two at most — probably a world record for the 3-hour show time). The cast was made up of both new and experienced actors, but there was no disparity in quality between the two. The younger cast members, playing minor roles as the many messengers sent between Italy and Rome, were just as skilful as the main actors. Cleopatra’s unfairly harassed messenger, played by Beatrice de Mallet Burgess, was particularly charming. Of course, this wouldn’t be a complete review without commending the performances of Grae Burton and Samantha Ellwood, playing Antony and Cleopatra, respectively. Headlining a show of this calibre is a huge undertaking, yet they were flawless. Their chemistry was organic, with Ellwood’s taunting perfectly capturing Shakespeare’s wry, hyperbolic humour. Their emotional highs were impactful, making the tragic ending all the more tear-jerking. Other commendable performances include Ann An, who plays Cleopatra’s adoring maid Charmaine so genuinely it felt real, and Manunui Rainey, whose screaming had me jumping out of my seat. Rama Buisson, playing the hard-hitting Octavius Caesar, was simply exemplary. Take note, all other actors who dare take on the role: this is how you do vocal projection. I’m sure Shakespeare would be proud.
I don’t think I’ve been fair to Shakespeare in the past. I thought his plays were something to be endured in school, with little validity beyond the 15th century. Many others, I bet, buy into the same narrative. But this single production changed my mind — and then some. In the words of Orlando from As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage”. If that stage is the outdoor amphitheatre at Takapuna Pumphouse, and Shoreside Theatre is commanding it, I’ll be there. Even in the pouring rain.
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