We recently got to see our second production at Shakespeare’s Globe, another one of his comedies aptly called The Comedy of Errors. Of the two productions, Midsummer Night’s Dream was definitely my favorite, but I feel like it’s unfair to even compare the two so I’ll talk about Comedy of Errors as its own entity entirely.
To start, I think the script just isn’t that good for what Shakespeare can do. The jokes are funny, but they are very repetitive. How many times can I laugh at Antipholus speaking to the wrong Dromio and vice versa?
That being said, the answer was surprisingly most of the time. The delivery of the comedic moments was by far my favorite part of the production, the actors playing the Antipholi and Dromios put on great performances. I also loved the comedic timing of the actor playing the Duke, especially in moments such as when he was referencing the priest’s appearance, a character the same actor had played.
I also really enjoyed the boat entrances that happened three times during the play, where a boat carried by crew would sail through the groundlings surrounding the stage. It was a cool visual and I particularly loved how the duke would wave the groundlings aside to make room for the boat. It embodied the semi interactive nature of the Shakespeare I’ve now seen at the Globe that I feel adds so much to the experience.
However, I did have some qualms with this production. The first of which was the mere fact that Shakespeare was not writing at 100% during this play. The emotional and sincere moments felt to me like they were dragging on, and it took me out of the comedy and absurdity that the rest of the world lies in. Then there was the main problem I had at this production, and it is not a fair critique but it was something worthy of complaining: it was hot, so very hot. We had really good seats this time, ones with a straight on practically centered view of the stage, and it was amazing. However the sun was out and the shade steadily decreased over the course of the show as the sunlight kept moving further and further up my black jeans. It was not fun and it became fairly distracting, but I do suppose it was an authentic globe experience, so I can’t complain too much.
Overall The Comedy of Errors was a good show that had its hardships, and while it was not the excellence that Midsummer was, it was still well worth the watch. And it would have been even better if it had been overcast.
Theatre in London U of A 