Antony & Cleopatra - RST - Stratford-upon-Avon

To Stratford to see Antony and Cleopatra:

An uneventful journey, after which we booked in at the Premier Inn Stratford Upon Avon (Waterways) and then out for a meal.

As we walked into Stratford town centre we passed (in fact, I barely registered) a tall grey-haired man wearing a cap; even in that fraction of a second, and without taking in any details at all, I felt that I recognised him as an actor.  "I had the weirdest feeling that I knew that man" said Amanda as we walked on.  "Did you think he was a TV actor - possibly one who frequently plays the part of old retired villains or policemen?" I asked.  "Yes", replied Amanda, "who was he?"  "No idea", I replied, "I only glimpsed him and can't for the life of me think of a specific thing he's been in, so I can't even look him up".   In fact, I was wrong. After much Google searching I was later able to establish that it was the actor David Bradley, who lives in Stratford.

On to Edward Moon.  Once again I had booked our favourite table, where we were overlooked by this stylish lady:

Steamed whitefish stuffed with asparagus for Amanda:

and a most acceptable burger for yours truly:

Sweets were not photographed, but were very much enjoyed:

Amanda gives her seal of approval:

Out and to the theatre, where this shot shows our view from the front row of the balcony. The handrail does not in any way impede the view from these seats - I was trying to be discreet in my photography and therefore effectively had the camera in my lap:

A somewhat ghostly selfie:

As is usual I shall refrain from offering a detailed critique of the performance, beyond saying that there were high and low points, but as a whole I enjoyed it.  In relation to the play itself, I did feel that this was one occasion when The Bard might have benefited from the services of a good editor ("Hey Will - enough with the returning triumphant Romans - we get it - they won")...

For those interested in detailed reviews, these are all worth a look:

• Behind the Arras
• British Theatre Guide
• Financial Times
• Partially Obstructed View
• Peter Viney's blog
• Sincerely, Amy
• Stratford Observer
• The Guardian - 1
• The Guardian - 2
• The Reviews Hub
• The Stage
• The Telegraph
• The Times
• Theatre Bubble
• Theatre World
• Whats On Stage