587 posts
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Post by Polly1 on May 8, 2020 19:22:58 GMT
Come on then, Jan, spill the beans on the anecdote (in spoilers if necessary!) The Rickman/Mirren production was my first A&C and yes, he mumbled terribly so I didn't understand everything, plus it was just after the snake (Cedric?) had escaped and my friend was rather tense about that, but I clearly remember the crypt scene at the end with all the hundreds of candles as being rather beautiful. |
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Post by Jan on May 8, 2020 19:45:52 GMT
Come on then, Jan, spill the beans on the anecdote (in spoilers if necessary!) The Rickman/Mirren production was my first A&C and yes, he mumbled terribly so I didn't understand everything, plus it was just after the snake (Cedric?) had escaped and my friend was rather tense about that, but I clearly remember the crypt scene at the end with all the hundreds of candles as being rather beautiful. The anecdote. It ends with the play being re-directed for the Barbican transfer and Alan Bates phoning Alan Bennet and announcing triumphantly “The cunnilingus is out !” |
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Post by crabtree on May 9, 2020 18:51:52 GMT
Well yes, as I said, the Janet Suzman one is still my favourite production. she was sultry, commanding, she purred, she was furious, decadent, powerful and full of majesty, blessed with that brilliant voice. She lounged about, looked amazing, beautifully dressed, with clear colours between Rome and Egypt, and had a monumental, but simple monument. Jane Lapertaire was Charmian i believe, and possibly Paolo Dionisetti(?) as Iras.It was a devastating fourth of the brilliant Roman Season at the Aldwych. The same set was certainly used for Titus, and I think al the quartet. In Stratford at least suzman also played Lavinia but not in london. Sadly the film with Charlton Heston, saw him standing in front of the camera, chest out the whole time, and dear Hildegard Neil struggled to be seen in the background. Sadly the NTs recent one felt grubby and literally lacked lustre in what should be a ravishing play. I enjoyed Mark Rylance too. But as someone said, how did a 16 year old boy play this so credibly that the part lived on. But Cleopatra for me will always be Janet Suzman.
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Post by Fleance on May 10, 2020 1:48:53 GMT
I liked the Hopkins/Dench/Bryant production. The poorest production I've ever seen was the Timothy Dalton/Vanessa Redgrave version.
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Post by frappuccino on May 10, 2020 5:13:12 GMT
Yes, it was supposed to be Alan Bates instead of Alan Rickman. In an interview Alan said that the critics expected to see Antony as some sort of heroic figure not some washed up alcoholic. I have read other users saying Rickman needed to be prompted because he didn't know the lines. How exactly did they prompt him? Not prompted when I saw it. The most unprofessional bit of behaviour I've ever seen on the NT stage came from Judi Dench in A&C, really poor, corpsing, then stopping the performance for a few minutes while she composed herself, terrible and an insult to the audience. Bates eventually played it at the RSC with Frances de la Tour - there's a famously ribald anecdote about the first scene in that production. On the Rickman one, they couldn't find a director for it either, Sean Matthias was nowhere near the top of the list they drew up and they had to twist his arm to do it. Did you at least meet him that the stage door? I heard he was good to his fans at the stage door. |
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Post by crabtree on May 10, 2020 9:16:09 GMT
Oh heck I've just remembered and recoiled at the memory of Kate O'Mara on tour as Cleopatra! can't remember Antony
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Post by crabtree on May 10, 2020 9:17:14 GMT
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Post by Jan on May 10, 2020 11:31:12 GMT
The poorest production I've ever seen was the Timothy Dalton/Vanessa Redgrave version. Plainly you didn't see the Diana Rigg/Denis Quilley one then - Quilley purest mahogany. I've never seen a very good production of it, about the best (other than the last NT one) was Harriet Walter/Patrick Stewart although for some unknown reason HW essayed some sort of comedy Greek accent for the part whereas Stewart didn't give us his comedy Italian in return. |
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Post by Boob on May 12, 2020 20:37:16 GMT
RSC production with Sinead Cusack and Stuart Wilson had been my only (negative) experience of this play until I went onto YouTube. Had to switch off as soon as Sophie O started speaking (bellowing). Skipped through to see the sets. I’d be very happy to never see this play again.
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Post by frappuccino on Jun 22, 2020 7:57:16 GMT
I saw this tweet regarding the Alan Rickman Helen Mirren version:
I saw Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren play Antony and Cleopatra. Such an experience.
I heard Rickman's haunting voice perfectly. The London critics savaged this production and acclaimed Nicole Kidman's nude scene at another theatre. As she received this final night applause at Antony and Cleopatra, Helen Mirren stood centre stage and quietly removed her clothes.
A silent comment by Helen Mirren that the critics had celebrated Kidman's nude scene in another theatre while savagely and very nastily damning Alan Rickman and Mirren's superb interpretation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. And it was superb
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Wow! I didn't know Helen Mirren did this!
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Jun 22, 2020 19:10:03 GMT
I saw this tweet regarding the Alan Rickman Helen Mirren version: I saw Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren play Antony and Cleopatra. Such an experience. I heard Rickman's haunting voice perfectly. The London critics savaged this production and acclaimed Nicole Kidman's nude scene at another theatre. As she received this final night applause at Antony and Cleopatra, Helen Mirren stood centre stage and quietly removed her clothes. A silent comment by Helen Mirren that the critics had celebrated Kidman's nude scene in another theatre while savagely and very nastily damning Alan Rickman and Mirren's superb interpretation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. And it was superb --------- Wow! I didn't know Helen Mirren did this! Yes she did , it was the reason so many stayed to the end as it was well trailered. It wasn’t in response to Nicole Kidman whom I also saw. Mirren’s performance was good but she was totally overshadowed by dreadful production and poor performance of Rickman. You know you can trust me. It wasn’t a ‘superb interpretation’ It was clunky and overblown and if you check out what Sam West says somewhere if I remember correctly ( sorry I can’t remember exact reference) you will find he was less than delighted. Can someone find that? Must be a theatre memoir book. Kidman’s performance was superb by the way and that Donmar production was good. Famously she was called ‘theatrical viagra’ by the critic whatisname Spencer. |
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Post by frappuccino on Jun 23, 2020 2:14:10 GMT
I saw this tweet regarding the Alan Rickman Helen Mirren version: I saw Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren play Antony and Cleopatra. Such an experience. I heard Rickman's haunting voice perfectly. The London critics savaged this production and acclaimed Nicole Kidman's nude scene at another theatre. As she received this final night applause at Antony and Cleopatra, Helen Mirren stood centre stage and quietly removed her clothes. A silent comment by Helen Mirren that the critics had celebrated Kidman's nude scene in another theatre while savagely and very nastily damning Alan Rickman and Mirren's superb interpretation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. And it was superb --------- Wow! I didn't know Helen Mirren did this! Yes she did , it was the reason so many stayed to the end as it was well trailered. It wasn’t in response to Nicole Kidman whom I also saw. Mirren’s performance was good but she was totally overshadowed by dreadful production and poor performance of Rickman. You know you can trust me. It wasn’t a ‘superb interpretation’ It was clunky and overblown and if you check out what Sam West says somewhere if I remember correctly ( sorry I can’t remember exact reference) you will find he was less than delighted. Can someone find that? Must be a theatre memoir book. Kidman’s performance was superb by the way and that Donmar production was good. Famously she was called ‘theatrical viagra’ by the critic whatisname Spencer. That spencer sounds like a gross pervert! Thanks for replying! Alan wanted to play someone who was washed up but the critics thought he should play a swashbuckling hero. I think also the problem was that not everyone would know his intention and would wonder why he was playing it like that. Plus, at the best of times he swallowed his words. |
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Post by Jan on Jun 23, 2020 7:40:54 GMT
That spencer sounds like a gross pervert! You think ? Plenty of the audience were there for the same reason, demand for tickets was massive. Iain Glen also appeared nude in the play, so something for everyone there. Shows with nudity almost always sell better than they would otherwise especially if they're dressed up with the intellectual imprimatur of (in this case) Sir David Hare. Equus is another one where humbug levels from the audience are high. |
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5,160 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 23, 2020 8:26:48 GMT
CHARLES Spencer, lynette, in The Daily Telegraph. |
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Post by Jan on Jun 23, 2020 13:38:21 GMT
CHARLES Spencer, lynette, in The Daily Telegraph. Spencer was hopeless - I remember in particular his review of the Goold/Stewart Macbeth where he gave away every single staging surprise and trick. |
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