Showing between Thursday 26th March and Saturday 2nd May 2009 @ Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol

“Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch of the ranged empire fall” – not exactly the words you’d expect from a leading Roman politician like Mark Antony, even if his gaffe-prone modern counterpart Silvio Berlusconi has probably uttered something equally derogatory – but this is the overwhelming power of Shakespeare’s Egypt. Its stunning opulence and rich sensuousness makes sober politicians forget duty and leave their kingdoms to waste.

For their momentous tenth anniversary, Bristol’s illustrious Shakespeare At The Tobacco Factory have chosen to stage two of Shakespeare’s most masterful histories, using the same expert cast for both Julius Caesar and the closest thing the bard ever wrote to its sequel, Antony and Cleopatra. The second instalment in this Roman marathon sees Antony’s attention wrestle between the ambition and politics of rational Rome and the romance and exoticism of Egypt. It’s not only a question of preferred location but a struggle between conflicting aspects of his personality; he must decide whether Antony is a calculating, career driven Roman or a passionate and sensual Egyptian. It’s a heart-wrenching tussle and the audience can only watch in anguish as the ambivalent Antony teeters between the two worlds before hurtling towards his downfall.

Unlike many companies, SATTF doesn’t need to rely on flashy sets or elaborate staging to bring Shakespeare’s text to life - it has something much more powerful; incredible acting. Each player had not only mastered their character but had developed such a genuine relationship with their fellow performers that at times, it was hard to believe they were actors and that we had not been transported straight to the classical Mediterranean.

Whilst playing the hot-headed Cleopatra, SATTF veteran Lucy Black moved expertly from the smug satisfaction of having a besotted Roman at her beck and call to a paranoid hysteria when her lover favoured Rome over her enchanting kingdom. Although the play doesn’t see Cleopatra getting involved in the politics of her administration, the character must possess all the regal the presence of a head of state. It’s a challenging role to act – like portraying Lady Thatcher as a Romantic lead – and Black captured the pride, rage and insecurity of this larger than life character with immense skill. Black’s counterpart Alun Raglan too is perhaps one of the most natural and unpretentious Shakespearian actors of our generation. He has either gone to great lengths to perfect every facial expression to match the inner workings of Antony’s mind or was simply born for this part.

Fantastic performances of earthy Enobarbus (played by Simon Armstrong), the diplomatic yet wet Lepidus (Paul Brenden) and a slimy, round and slightly camp portrayal of Octavius Caesar from Bryron Mondahl (with the help of a pair of incredibly kinky boots) match the lovers in integrity and skill.

For me this is one of Shakespeare’s finest works. More relevant than ever, it’s a grown-up version of Romeo and Juliet where a couple no longer in their ‘salad days’ have to decide between their careers and their love. This production is as passionate, heady and violent as the protagonists’ whirlwind relationship. You’d be crazy, unfeeling or simply a dull Roman not to enjoy it.

www.sattf.org.uk

Laura Snoad