Robert Chevara directs a timely adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic love story, Antony and Cleopatra. This radical, queer re-staging of the classic with a small, all gay male cast, placing in sharp relief the relationship of our two protagonists.
A site-specific performance in the basement club of The Divine. The explosive relationship between these lovers takes place in the confines of a nightclub where the passionate love tug-of-war plays out upon a backdrop of neon lights, pounding techno, karaoke musical breaks and psychedelic drugs. Dizzying and electrifying – always with Shakespeare’s unmatched poetic verse at its heart.
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| Robert Chevara |
What can you tell me about the show and what you are bringing to it?
How did you approach developing the show?
I wrote a version of it first. We workshopped this for two weeks. I went away. Changed all the songs, added several other scenes, opened characters out and basically started again. It was more rounded, even more passionate and on fire!
How do you go about cutting Shakespeare’s text into a 70 minute version?
I have actually done this twice before, with Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. I think about the best way I can tell a story, how best I can communicate this to an audience and because I am quite a good show doctor, ie am not precious about cutting material, or swapping scenes for clarity, build it all in my head before putting any of it on paper. With A&C I had already decided to cut most of the public scenes and those with Caesar. Then the facade and grandeur of the public scenes and the turmoil of their private scenes and those in the Egyptian Court fell into place.
What do you think Shakespeare’s play and your own adaption say to an 2024 audience member?
I hope it speaks to them about marginalised people in the thrall of emotions in a truthful way, that maybe they would not follow but an audience can empathise with.
Jonny and I first worked together on Alexis Gregory’s superb Sex/Crime at The Glory. It was our first time working together. Lexi and I had collaborated on projects often, but with someone new, whether a designer or actor, is like a love affair. It’ll work, or it won’t. I told him in first week of working on Lexi’s play that I thought he’d make a great Cleopatra. We workshopped A&C at The Glory to see what I had, where I thought I could push the concept more and whether it was something that inspired and people might want to see. The cast, including Lexi as Charmian, Jonathan Blake as Dolabella and now Will McGeough as Antony have followed my vision, brought it to life and Jonny and I, because of the previous working relationship, share a shorthand and a trust which is vital for a great working relationship.
How have you gone about developing your own take on Cleopatra?
Initially I spoke to Jonny about great Cleopatras I had seen. We used those as a starting point for inspiration. Janet Suzman, Glenda Jackson, Dorothy Turin, Josette Simon, most especially Vanessa and Frances de la Tour who brought danger, glamour, bite and power to the role. But Jonny had his own power, wit, fascination and danger that he brought to the role, almost from the first day, and I realised my instincts were right that he’d make a great Cleopatra.
How do the surroundings of The Divine help in the staging?
Enormously. It informs it. It’s already the perfect setting and reminds me of a techno club in Berlin. Which is where the play is set! There is an authenticity to it which works beautifully for my version of the play.
Where did your arts career begin and how do you reflect on your career to date?
It began at The Old Vic Theatre when I was 13 years old. I was a founding member. Then I joined Anna Scher Children’s Theatre a little later. I was a working class child from a very poor background, but was determined to direct and I got myself, very cheaply, in to see everything. I was obsessed by the idea of exploring the emotional truth in music, or in writer’s words and felt I had something to say from a unique perspective. I wrote to people I admired and luckily they all met me and gave honest advice. I started my first theatre company when I was about 19 years old, Rollercoaster at the Duke of Wellington in the Balls Pond Road. Our first season was Hamlet, Mary Rose by J.M. Barrie and a play I wrote about my mother called Larks. I was offered to direct at the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama at 25 year’s old The Tales of Hoffmann and Dialogue of the Carmelites and my directing career took off internationally. I ran an opera company again for four years and then went back to being freelance. I always say to young people that I work with now, do not wait for anyone’s permission to create the work you want to make, or see. You will wait forever for it to be the perfect fit. Make your own work, however hard. Make your mistakes in public. Don’t wait for producers or companies to give you crumbs from the table. Why settle for less? You can create your own full meal before accepting their crumbs.
What keeps you inspired?
My friends. Art. Fashion. Other people’s inspiring work. Watching people around me. My colleagues. Films. Reading. Bridget Riley. Fellini. Pasolini. Cocteau. Anyone who dreams and dares to have a vision. Boxing. Joni. Patti. Rikki Beadle-Blair.
Antony and Cleopatra: A Dream or Passion runs at The Divine in London from Thursday 12th September until Friday 27th September 2024. Tickets are available from https://thedivine.co.uk/event/antcleo26/#:~:text=A%20site%2Dspecific%20performance%20in,musical%20breaks%20and%20psychedelic%20drugs.
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