For the first time in ten years, Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare’s epic story of love, duty, and power unfolds in the Globe Theatre in a ground-breaking bilingual production using Spoken English and British Sign Language.
Rome is a militant empire governed by three men. Egypt is an ancient kingdom ruled by a woman.
Despite their cultures being worlds apart, Roman general Antony falls for Egyptian queen Cleopatra, and abandons his responsibilities at home, to the disdain of his fellow ruler Octavius Caesar.
As their passion intensifies, so do the tensions between their countries. Before long, decisions are made that threaten devastating consequences for not only each other, but the very foundations of their two societies.
Blanche McIntyre (Measure for Measure; Twelfth Night: For One Night Only, Globe) directs Shakespeare’s blockbuster clash of cultures, with Charlotte Arrowsmith (Credit) as Associate Director and Nadia Nadarajah (Credit, Theatre) as Cleopatra.
‘Eternity was in our lips and eyes’
- Act I, scene 3
__Access performances__
All performances of Antony & Cleopatra will be captioned. The creative team of deaf and hearing artists and consultants will begin the creation process for the production in the spring. The Globe will therefore be able to provide further information on the creative integration of both British Sign Language and Spoken English in due course.
Relaxed - Sun 1 Sept 1pm & Thu 5 Sept 7.30pm
Audio described - Wed 4 Sept 2pm & Sun 15 Sept 1pm
In the second half of the play, Shakespeare is preoccupied with the men at war, as Antony and Caesar stomp their feet and argue over the future of empire. All heavy drums and the slow-mo clashing of swords, these scenes hold less energy than the more domestic moments in court. For this production belongs to the women. All eyes are on Cleopatra and her loving, giggling servants, who are ready to respond to her every dramatic whim, desperate to put the “odd worm” to their own chest rather than live without their queen.
This must have seemed like such a good idea on paper. Yet as the old saw goes, theatre does not happen on paper, but on a stage. If any theatre was going to attempt a fully integrated bilingual production using spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL) it was going to be the Globe, a venue always at the forefront of kicking down perceived barriers to access and equality. Unfortunately, the finished product is dismal, nigh-on incomprehensible and with almost no depth of characterisation.
1846 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1909 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1924 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1937 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1947 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1951 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1997 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2008 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
The Public Theater Production Off-Broadway |
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2018 | London |
The National Theatre, London London |
2017 | West End |
Royal Shakespeare Company Production West End |
2024 | West End |
West End |
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