Some people think it’s crazy to stand on your feet for three hours in front of an outdoor stage watching a Shakespeare play, but I think it would be crazy not to! We went to see Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and it was incredible. It is always a good sign when the actors are speaking in Shakespearean English but I can understand everything that is going on. It was also a surprise to me that there was such a fun set and spectacular costumes (especially because Shawn told us there wouldn’t be a set at all!)
It was a relatively chilly day outside, so I was unsure about standing on the ground for the performance. However, I came to find out that standing was the right move because the body heat from everyone around me kept me toasty as the people in the seats were freezing. Huzzah! It was also a much better line of sight because I was meters away from the action.
As I previously mentioned, the acting was incredible. I could clearly read every character’s intention and their voices were clear and loud. I particularly enjoyed Amalia Vitale as Beatrice and Ekow Quartey as Benedick. They had such great chemistry together and their witty banter felt so natural. Then, Beatrice’s monologue to Benedick at the end of Act 4, Scene 1 raised the stakes so well because we get to witness this silly character tell Benedick in earnest to murder his friend Claudio. Vitale does such a wonderful job with this dramatic transition and it raises the stakes of the play considerably.
The other great part about this play was the set design! The set consisted of huge orange trees wrapping around the arches of the stage, while the two pillars holding up the “heavens” each had a climbable balcony on them that the characters could interact with. This led to some of my favorite comedic moments of the play such as when Benedick overhears a conversation between his friends about how Beatrice loves him. The friends know he is listening in, but Benedick is in the dark, so when he accidentally speaks up, or loudly moves around the tree, the three friends pretend not to notice as the audience gets to enjoy the physical comedy.
I adored this play and it makes me want to see even more Shakepeare performed at the Globe! I had so much fun being a groundling, locking eyes with the characters occasionally, and even participating in small ways like when we clapped along with the awesome on-stage band! This was definitely an experience I will never forget and not just because my phone was stolen hours later!
Pip pip and Cheerio!
P.S. Bonus game: try to find me in this tree!
Theatre in London U of A 