I exist due to the Bard of Avon. My parents met during the festivities held in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1964 to celebrate the quadricentennial anniversary of his birth. With both grandparents living in that fair town, I ended up seeing quite a lot of Shakespeare. I’ve seen SIR Ben Kingsley (heaven forbid one dispenses with his title, apparently), Jeremy Irons and Patrick Stewart tread the boards in RSC productions. However, there was always to my mind something missing in the plays that I saw. Reviewing the photographs of the performances featuring the stars I’ve just mentioned (just to check that what the old grey matter recalled was based on fact), I’ve spotted what it was: historical accuracy. No, bear with me, I think this is going to make sense.
You see, possibly for good reason, each new performance has to find something ‘new’, or so it seems. One is reminded of the Oscar-winning film The Goodbye Girl, where the star, Richard Dreyfuss (before his fall from grace), played Richard III as a gay stereotype; think John Inman and you’re not far off the mark. In all the productions I’ve referred to, something – set design, costumes, or most memorably, Jeremy Iron’s lisp (affected I assume) – detracted from Shakespeare’s words, which are surely rich enough to make such modernistic additions superfluous.
First visit to the Globe
It was with high hopes, therefore, that I went to the Globe Theatre in London last weekend to see Much Ado about Nothing and, dear reader, my hopes were happily exceeded.
The Globe is not an RSC outlet. Set up by the American actor Sam Wanamaker, and opened in 1997, it is as close to an accurate re-creation of the original theatre of 1599 as is possible to make. Partially open to the elements, the only touches of modernity are the (plain, white) lights necessary on occasion to illuminate the proceedings. Actors must declaim without amplification, as must the musicians; think of it as Shakespeare – unplugged. A total audience capacity of 873 seats are available, plus up to 700 ‘Groundling’ tickets for standing customers, which are available at a very reasonable £10 each (£5 if you book at 11am on a Friday for tickets for the following week’s shows). Frankly, there can be no better value to be had for entertainment, especially of the quality which I witnessed.
Arriving at 12:20 for a 1pm performance meant, that when the doors opened, I was able, as a standing customer in ‘the yard’ to make my way to the very front. Despite the toll on my legs, I was for over two hours, wholly transported. This was Shakespeare as it would have been seen at the time; with audience participation, loud and genuine laughter, and no distractions (other than a crying baby. (Why someone thought the play suitable for infants was beyond me.)
Much Ado: a delight!
It was a delight. All of the cast were convincing, but special praise must be given to Amalia Vitale as the high-spirited Beatrice, John Lightbody as Leonato, and Robert Mountford as the cunning Don John aka John the Bastard. Having the cast perform literally inches from where I stood – at times, one instinctively had to step back to avoid the action – was a unique experience in my viewing of the performing arts. I had (save for the one sad scene when Hero was weeping right in front of me) a smile fixed to my face from start to finish. Have a sneak peek at this five-star reviewed production via this short YouTube clip.
By careful booking in advance, trips to London on the train can be far from ruinously expensive, and with the tickets as reasonable as I’ve mentioned, this is something that can be high up on your ‘things to do this summer’ list; just don’t arrive with fractious infants, though, please, for the sake of your fellow spectators. The production closes on 24 August, and if you need a reminder of the plot before your visit, the cast have put together a short video here. Tickets can be booked here.
Events taking place this weekend (tickets available at time of writing):
Cambridge:
Why not visit Clare College in Cambridge this Sunday evening (16 June) for a concert of violin and piano music, starting at 19:30. Tickets going fast, from £5 entry.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-concert-by-melanie-clapies-and-patrick-hemmerle-tickets-761089909407
Essex:
Hylands House near Chelmsford has been featured in The Crown, and its grounds have hosted V Fest and Creamfields festivals. This Sunday 16 June, it has an Open Day with free admission, featuring storytelling sessions, live music and street food. More details here.
Herts:
Spend this Saturday 15 June at Mac’s Beer and Music Festival running from 17:00-22:00 at McMullen and Sons, Hertford. Tickets from £11.55
Norfolk:
There’s a Jolly Ale and Music Festival on this weekend Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June at the Jolly Sailors in Brancaster Staithe.
Suffolk:
In Ipswich, Brighten the Corners is taking over the town centre. A multi-venue music festival, it’s running on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 June. Some events are free to attend.
PLEASE send us any details of events happening in your area that you feel our readers would like to know about!
