We recently returned to the Globe Theatre in order to watch a production of The Comedy of Errors, and I believe that it is time for me to give my honest opinion on Shakespeare’s old stomping grounds. I hate it. On one hand it is really cool that we have such an accurate recreation of such an old theatre, but accuracy means nothing if the theatre is the most uncomfortable hunk of wood on the planet. We did not go through the industrial revolution just so we could subject people to backless seats and no air conditioning. Half the seats have terrible sight lines to the stage, and the only way to avoid that issue is to fight to the death in the groundling area which has no protection from the sun and requires everyone to be standing for 2+ hours. This theatre felt like it was created by a five year-old and funded by their father who doesn’t know how to say no. I wouldn’t watch the best show in the world for free in that theatre because it is impossible to justify the pain that you have to go through to enjoy anything while you are there. Although I complain about it, I will quickly mention the things I like. I do like how unique of a space it is, and the versatility of the space allows for some really fun decisions that both actors and directors can make. Aside from that, it is simply an uncomfortable outdoor theatre.
Now to talk about the show we watched. I liked the show, but I will give my complaints first. It was really long and had no intermission. These two factors along with the script’s repetitive format meant that I was just tired and bored a lot of the time. That being said, I still really liked the show. The acting was great and the actors themselves had a very strong understanding of the text. The direction of the piece and the use of the text was also very brilliant. The actors had the freedom to stretch and play with all their words, and it resulted in a very interesting and engaging play. I just wish the scenes, and subsequently the play, were much shorter. Aside from my distaste for the source material, I really did enjoy the show. It gave me hope that not all Shakespeare is boring and bad.
Theatre in London U of A 