We find ourselves in Egypt, under the rule of Cleopatra, she is in the last days of her rule, and we are all invited to her party to celebrate the recent success of her army in defeating the Romans, but things take a turn when Marc Anthony returns from the battle, and it seems he was not as successful as he first made out. This show is staged in a cabaret venue, it is an immersive production, so the cast are often in amongst the audience, dancing and singing closely to us. This adds to the drama and intensity then the fun party joy. 

Written by Laura Kleinbaum and Jeff Daye, and directed by Christopher D Clegg this is a beautifully queer centred production, it is high energy and the original songs are incredible ear worms (cast recording please!). The costumes designed by Rachael Ryan are modern with an athletic style but with clear nods to ancient Egyptian fashions. There is lots of decadent colours and materials which enhance the storytelling of the piece. 

The cast are absolutely outstanding in this show. Emilie Israel as Cleopatra brings all the strong woman energy and shows what it is to be an empowered woman. Her vocal talent is breathtaking, she draws you in with her soft tones before belting out the huge notes to rapturous applause from the audience. Becky Sanneh is Iris, a handmaiden who longs to be loved by Cleopatra and is jealous of the relationship she has with Marc Antony. Becky has a wonderful soft calm tone to her voice which is shown off beautifully. Marcellus White as Marc Antony is the villain of the piece, he lies, he deceives, and he uses Cleopatra for her power and her access to an army. Marcellus is magnificent in this role bringing a dark intensity to the character and a wonderful voice too! River Medway is our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening, moving the story along, ensuring the audience are all on board. River Medway is a drag queen and her talents for dancing and singing shine. She is the perfect host for this show. 

The vibe of this show is SIX for the pop concert come musical theatre feel.  There’s a sense of Hamilton in the sharing of a historical story using songs and a Beyonce concert for the female empowerment and huge vocals. It is a fantastic night out and in my opinion it’s got ‘West End Transfer’ written all over it. 

This show was reviewed on the 20th August 2024 at Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh where it runs until the 25th August 2024.  Tickets here: House of Cleopatra | Musicals and Opera | Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com)

Review written by Rosie Browne

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