The Playground Theatre Presents
WVAC: Did Cleopatra Squeak?
March 28 - 2:30pm
One Person Talk by Janet Suzman
A rare opportunity to hear one of the great interpreters of Shakespeare in conversation with one of his most complex women.
Janet Suzman—whose Cleopatra is regarded as one of the most celebrated portrayals of the role—joins the Women’s Voices Festival for an illuminating talk on Antony and Cleopatra. Drawing on her experience playing Cleopatra in landmark productions, Suzman explores the power, intelligence, sensuality, and political acumen of Shakespeare’s queen, and why this role continues to challenge and inspire actresses and audiences alike.
Part personal reflection, part theatrical masterclass, this talk offers an extraordinary insight into Shakespeare’s most enigmatic heroine, through the eyes of an actor who helped redefine her for the modern stage.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Duration: 60 mins
Interval: N/A
Start Time: 2:30pm
Content Warnings:
Recommended for 14 years +
Tickets (All unreserved)
General Admission - £15
Concession | Senior over 60 - £12
Access for All | Unemployed | Student - £12
Note: Please contact boxoffice@theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk for your complementary ticket for a carer/companion/friend
Dame Janet Suzman DBE is an internationally acclaimed actor, director, writer and cultural advocate, with a career spanning more than sixty years.
She began her professional life with the founding seasons of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964 under Sir Peter Hall, appearing in The Wars of the Roses and going on to play major roles for the RSC throughout the next decade, culminating in a celebrated Antony and Cleopatra (1973–74).
Suzman has always maintained strong links with her natal South Africa. In 1987 she began her directing career there with a landmark, politically resonant production of Othello at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre, starring John Kani. Her later South African work includes The Good Person of Sharkville (an adaptation of Brecht) and The Free State, written by Suzman and inspired by Nelson Mandela’s release.
Her directing work spans classical and modern drama, including Death of a Salesman, Hamlet, A Lesson from Aloes, and Antony and Cleopatra (starring Kim Cattrall), as well as opera (The Marriage of Figaro for the Royal Academy of Music).
Her film and television credits include Nicholas and Alexandra (Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations), The Draughtsman’s Contract, A Dry White Season, Fellini’s E la nave va, The Singing Detective, and Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy of India. Her London stage work includes Hedda Gabler, Three Sisters, The Greeks, and The Sisters Rosensweig.
She has received numerous awards, including two Evening Standard Awards, the Critics’ Circle Award, the Helen Hayes Award and the Pragnell Shakespeare Award. She was appointed DBE in 2011, granted the Freedom of the City of London in 2015 and since 2017 has chaired the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. She holds several honorary Doctorates of Letters.