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Costume Design for Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra, 1972

Director: Buzz Goodbody, Trevor Nunn and Euan Smith
Designer: Ann Curtis

This object will be on display at Hall's Croft from 4th April until 27th May 2011

This production was part of a group of four of Shakespeare's plays known as the Roman plays. The other three are Coriolanus, Julius Caesar and Titus Andronicus. They all opened at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre over the course of 1972. Shakespeare based the plays on events described by Plutarch in the late 1st Century. The costume design for Antony and Cleopatra took its inspiration from what we know of ancient Egyptian and Roman dress.

Many of the actors in the company appeared in more than one of the four plays. Janet Suzman who played Cleopatra was also Lavinia in Titus Andronicus. This allowed the company to operate as a true ensemble, developing their characters and working together in a number of different productions.