Melt Egypt into Nile

On Wednesday night we saw Antony and Cleopatra at the Globe Theatre. It was hot and stuffy, and the seats are uncomfortable, and they charge too much for the cushions, but it was a Fantastic theatre experience. It is hard to describe: but the energy of the audience and the fact that everyone is so close to the theatre, and that it's open to the sky, makes it so unique. The groundlings who stood through the entire performance had the worst time with the heat and I admire them for sticking it out. Frances Barber was a lusty diva of a Cleopatra and although I would have liked to see a little more returning passion from Mark Antony I thought the production was great. The end of the play when she chooses to poison herself with the asp rather than be dragged through the streets of Rome, I always find very moving. They performed in Jacobean dress, including armor for the men! That is dedication.

On Thursday we had as our guest the Artistic Director of the Globe, Dominic Dromgoole. He was an interesting combination of the droll humor and plummy accent of a Cambridge graduate (think Hugh Grant) and the casual deshabile of a student. He was both discreet about others in the theatre world and candid and very funny about himself. A true diplomat, which must be very useful on the job. He has written a book about his love of Shakespeare called: Will and Me.

The pictures are from the Globe Theatre. Cleopatra is in Red.