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This play deals with the passionate and volatile affair between Mark Anthony – one of the 3 joint rulers of the Roman world following the assassination of Julius Caesar – and the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra – superbly played by Kathryn Hunter. I was not particularly familiar with this Shakespearian work, and so it was very interesting to learn about its background, during the ever helpful pre-show notes (which I receive on CD, but which can also be accessed on-line via the RSC website) for example the fact that the playwright’s chief source was Sir Thomas North’s translation in 1579 of Plutarch’s ’ Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans’ and whilst Shakespeare followed Plutarch closely, he significantly compressed the timescale.
These introductory notes (also reprised ‘live’ by the describers a quarter of an hour before the start of any audio-described performance) described the layout of the Courtyard Theatre, with its metre-high stage surrounded on 3 sides by the audience seated at ground, circle and gallery level, and there was, once again, some helpful detailed information about the set and costumes, which VIPs lucky enough to have been able to join the 11 am touch tour, would have seen close-up.
Thanks to the notes we learnt that there was a shallow rear stage at the back of the main stage, with a black-railed musicians’ gallery running along the top of its back wall. Designed by Tom Piper, the set was sparing and stylised and with its black flooring and rusty metal combination, it echoed his design for some of the history plays staged a year or 2 ago. Audio-description works best when the visually impaired theatregoer can imagine the back, or onstage action, because of the evocative word pictures painted by the describers, who on this occasion, were Janet Jackson and Mary Plackett. For instance, the back wall of the empty stage at the start of the play was described as ‘like the front of a rusty metal drum’ being made of vertical panels with a uniform matt surface. Discreet metal handles indicated the presence of a number of doors, and the 2 central panels opened at the top revealing a recessed room, or balcony, with a glimpse of a wooden stair-head and blue-curtained back beyond. Way above the floor a large sheet spread out from under the minstrels’ gallery to the front of the stage and depending on how it was lit, it suggested the sky in a variety of moods. As well as conveying the difference between night and day, lighting, was also effectively used to contrast the different ambiances of the work’s chief locations – Cleopatra’s court was characterised by warm golden sunshine, whilst Rome had a cooler, more austere appearance.
The setting for this production was modern with its present-day costumes, and guns and knives replacing swords and daggers. There were also some ingenious touches with stylised props, such as the Egyptian fleet being represented by 3 ships made of folded paper carried shoulder-high, by Cleopatra and her women – something that any VIP would have only been aware thanks to the well-crafted audio-description.
The next audio described performance at the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre will be the family Christmas show, Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ for the matinee of Saturday 29 January and information on tickets, how to book places on the touch tour, headsets etc can be obtained on 01789 403437.
