Дейнека Світлана UKRAINIAN INTERMEDIAL INTERPRETATION OF SHAKESPEAREʼS "ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA" IN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURAL DIALOGUE

 

Дейнека С. О.

аспірантка IV року навчання

Інститут літератури ім. Т. Г. Шевченка НАН України

Наук. кер.: Торкут Н. М., д. філол. н., професор

 

UKRAINIAN INTERMEDIAL INTERPRETATION OF SHAKESPEAREʼS ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA IN THE CONTEXT OF CULTURAL DIALOGUE

 

The interest in William Shakespeareʼs work has not diminished for over 400 years. This is evidenced not only by a huge number of scientific studies, but also by numerous paintings, musical works, theatrical performances, film and television adaptations dedicated to his biography, plays, sonnets, and poems. All over the world as well as in Ukraine the artists have not overlooked the play Antony and Cleopatra.

On April 24 and 25, 2023, “Radio Culture” listeners were presented with the premiere of William Shakespeare’s radio play Antony and Cleopatra. Nataliia Kolomiiets, producer at “Radio Culture”, adapted this work into a radio drama, dedicating it to Shakespeare Days.

People’s Artist of Ukraine and Shevchenko Prize winner Oleksii Bohdanovych played the role of Mark Antony, while Cleopatra was voiced by announcer Nataliia Kolomiiets. The role of Octavius Caesar was played by People’s Artist of Ukraine Oleh Stalchuk. The radio play also featured the voices of Dmytro Zavadskyi (Philo), Petro Panchuk (Agrippa), Anastasia Rula (Charmian), Vasyl Chornoshkura (Soothsayer), and Andrii Liubich (Messenger). The sound engineer and author of the musical arrangement for the performance was Olena Yefimchuk, while Nataliia Kolomiiets was responsible for the staging. The Ukrainian translation of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra by Borys Ten was used for the radio play.

At the beginning of the first and second parts of the radio play, the voice of the announcer was heard, giving a brief overview of the play and Shakespeare’s legacy.

Before each scene, the listener was immersed in the unique atmosphere of the ancient world: an oriental melody echoes in Cleopatra’s palace, singing, waves, laughter can be heard here and there, and battle scenes were accompanied by the clang of weapons, the whistles and shouts of the crowd, the stomping of people, the neighing of horses, and sometimes trumpets and fanfares. Also, during dialogues and polylogues between the characters, music could often be heard. For example, when Antony spoke with the Messenger, an ominous melody sounded, and when the Messenger informed Cleopatra of Antony’s new marriage, tense music and single drumbeats were heard, symbolizing the blows of fate and reinforcing the impact of the shocking news on the queen’s emotional state. The episode in which the Messenger was whipped also made a strong impression, as this rather realistic scene was achieved through clear sounds that imitated the blows.

Antony’s voice remained steady throughout the play, and when talking to many characters, he was confident and decisive. In one of the dialogues, Octavius Caesar raised his voice at Antony, who, in turn, spoke a little louder without resorting to shouting.

In romantic scenes, Anthony spoke to his beloved almost in a whisper, drawing out his words. He was playful, cheerful, and gentle. Only when he was with her, he allowed himself to laugh. When he was in despair, his voice became “heavy,” conveying helplessness and longing.

Cleopatra spoke in an even tone, calm and confident, her charm and grandeur could be felt in every word. Both she and Anthony (as well as other characters) paused where appropriate, thus conveying the tension of the situation or, conversely, calmness and measuredness.

For this production, the text of the play was slightly abridged, with some characters and scenes removed altogether. Thus, instead of Shakespeare’s 34 characters (not counting military commanders, legionnaires, messengers, servants, and nameless courtiers), the radio play featured eight actors. Some lines were attributed to other characters. Thus, characters such as Lepidus, Pompey, Enobarbus, Eros, Octavia, and others were absent. Some of them were not even mentioned. For example, of Cleopatra’s two attendants, only Charmian appeared in the radio drama, while Iras was completely excluded.

Scenes such as the conversation between the Soothsayer and Charmian, Iras, and Alexas were also missing from this performance, as was the banquet on Pompey’s galley. Even the key moment when Antony fell on his sword was missing, although there was an appeal to those around him to kill him, meaning that this scene was present, albeit not in its entirety.

In general, the radio play Antony and Cleopatra was characterized by multidimensionality: the dynamic, warlike scenes were followed by the episodes of calm and tranquility, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the era of antiquity, experience its unusual flavour, and enjoy this masterpiece of world classics performed by Ukrainian actors.

Література

1. Коломієць Н. (ведуча). Вистава без антракту. Вільям Шекспір. «Антоній і Клеопатра». Радіовистава. Частина 1. URL : https://ukr.radio/schedule/play-archive.html?periodItemID=4158035 (дата звернення: 7. 02. 2026).

2. Коломієць Н. (ведуча). Вистава без антракту. Вільям Шекспір. «Антоній і Клеопатра». Радіовистава. Частина 2. URL : https://ukr.radio/schedule/play-archive.html?periodItemID=4158043 (дата звернення: 7. 02. 2026).

3. Шекспір В. Антоній і Клеопатра / пер. Бориса Тена. Шекспір В. Твори в 6 томах. Київ : Дніпро. 1986. Т. 5. С. 416-526.