For the scene where Antony and Cleopatra were making love (while Atia and Octavia wait in the heat outside the palace), James Purefoy and Lyndsey Marshal were reportedly playing the scene while Marilyn Manson's cover of 'Tainted Love' was playing on set, which kept them in the mood. Another song they were listening to keep the energy up was 'Pretty Vacant' by The Sex Pistols.
Actress Noa Bodner had to have all of her hair shaved off for one day of filming. On the DVD commentary track for this episode, James Purefoy referred to Bodner as 'the bravest actress in England.' Numerous other bit players suffered a similar fate during the filming of the Egyptian scenes, such as the Nubian warriors that feature prominently in this episode.