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An Ilkley Playhouse Fringe Production The sixth year of this outstanding event, including two contrasting Shakespeare plays, compacted to 30-40 minutes each and played in minimalist style, letting the words speak for themselves. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA directed by Dick Hebbert After last year's Richard lll it's back to tragedy for Bard '25 with the story of two of history's greatest lovers Antony and Cleopatra. Mark Antony, catapulted to power as part of a triumvirate after having ruthlessly hunted down the murderers of Julius Caesar, has fallen into decadent indolence in Egypt under the spell of the country's beautiful queen, Cleopatra. But rebellion is fermenting back in Rome and Antony realises that he will have to return home. Once there he is persuaded for diplomatic reasons to marry Octavia, the sister of Octavius Caesar - when she hears, Cleopatra is devastated. Meanwhile peace negotiations fail and despite his reluctance to go to war, Antony must lead the Romans against Pompey's rebels - but he just can't get Cleopatra off his mind... Ancient history on an epic scale - swords, sandals, power, glory and...asps. "...age shall not wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety..." AS YOU LIKE IT directed by Andrew Leggott After torrid love in Egypt, it’s pastoral love in the forest of Arden in this Shakespearian favourite. The play includes one of the Bard’s most famous speeches, commencing “All the world’s a stage…” and detailing the seven ages of man. It also marks the height of the Bard’s gender-twisting. In his time, the heroine Rosalind would have been played by a boy, who then dresses as a man. In the forest she in turn impersonates herself as a woman. Confused? Consider the actor!

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