Not a sequel to the Carry on film, but the second leg of the RSC, Gable stage and Public Theater NY of this Haitian set production. This is Tarell’s home town and it will be interesting to see whether the Haitian setting chimes better with this southern audience than with certain UK critics who couldnt see how the politics of 1800 with San Domingue as a colony of the Napoleonic empire were a very striking parallel with the annexation of Egypt under the Roman empire.
For the design i have had to create a hybrid of a proscenium and thrust space within our beautiful art Deco venue, so for the actors there is the exploration of when to use the diagonals that work well on the thrust and when to flatten out . I have tried to find a way to melt the set into the industrial feel of the back stage and so prevent the design becoming too Naturalistic. The musician sit on raised rusted scaffolding platforms with truss that supports the arch and columns of the set with all the ropes and gantry of the theatre exposed .
Antony and Cleopatra RSC. Directed by Tarell Maccraney, designed by Tom Piper
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