Why did you decide to stage Antony in The Swan and not the RST?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Your production is neither Elizabethan nor Elizabeth Taylor! How did you arrive at the style?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
What attracted you to directing this play?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
What did you look for when you cast Antony and Cleopatra?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Antony Sher once said that Antony bored him but he'd like to play Cleopatra! Why do you think there are more women keen to play Cleopatra than men to play Antony?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
The RSC didn't originally stage Antony often, but now it seems to be part of the repertoire. Why?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Many productions cut the Parthian scene. Why did you decide to keep it?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Why did you decide to have Pacorus killed with an arrow?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Why did you decide to use a real snake?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Is Cleopatra an unusual character in Shakespeare's writing? Are there others like her?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
How did you tackle showing the 'middle-aged' passion of Antony and Cleopatra?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Do you think directors have to decide whether Cleopatra is tawdry or wonderful?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Did you examine any of Shakespeare's sources?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Do you think Cleopatra was with Antony for love? Or other reasons…?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
Some people think Act 5 is a flaw of this play. What do you think?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
What do you think is the role of Enorbarbus?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
What do we learn from Enobarbus' defection and death?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
How did you deal with the fact that the audience knows that Antony and Cleopatra will die?
- Act and Scene
- Credit
- Date
- 2006-04-18
- Copyright
- © RSC 2006
These clips are taken from a recording of the Creative Team Talk public event on 18 April 2006 in the Swan Theatre. Interview by Carol Rutter.
Download: transcript [PDF]








