Antony and Cleopatra [Paperback]

A detailed and up-to-date history of Antony and Cleopatra on stage and screen, in and beyond Britain.Richard Madelaine explains how the challenging complexity of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra has at different times inhibited or promoted its success on the stage, and accounts for the remarkable resurgence of performances in the last twenty years. His introduction and commentary on the text provide the most detailed, extensive and up-to-date history of the play on stage and screen, in and beyond Britain. In the process he reveals not only the rich plurality of possible readings of the play, but also changing attitudes to Shakespeare.Richard Madelaine explains how the challenging complexity of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra has at different times inhibited or promoted its success on the stage, and accounts for the remarkable resurgence of performances in the last twenty years. His introduction and commentary on the text provide the most detailed, extensive and up-to-date history of the play on stage and screen, in and beyond Britain. In the process he reveals not only the rich plurality of possible readings of the play, but also changing attitudes to Shakespeare.Richard Madelaine explains how the challenging complexity of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra has at different times inhibited or promoted its success on the stage, and accounts for the remarkable resurgence of performances in the past twenty years. His introduction and commentary, presented alongside the New Cambridge edition of the text, provide the most detailed, extensive and up-to-date history of the play on stage and screen, in and beyond Britain. In the process he reveals not only the rich plurality of possible readings of the play, but also changing attitudes to Shakespeare.List of productions; Introduction; Antony and Cleopatra (text plus commentary); Bibliography; Index. ...Richard Madelaine's volume...offers tantalizing gimpses of performances of the past. Shakespeare Bulletin