Shakespeare’s Globe Theater is a radically different experience compared to what we are used to in the United States and at other theaters in London. When the globe first housed Shakespeare’s plays, there was no electricity to have lighting or recorded sound, and most of the audience stood very close around the stage. Today, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre attempts to bring us into the past by staying as true to these practices as possible. This meant we were able to stand two feet away from the actors during the entire show. My feet are still throbbing and my back still aches, but it was all worth it to see the emotion in their eyes and even smell their colognes and perfumes! Suddenly, the show became a 4D experience.
In this space, you need to be close to the actors for two reasons. The first reason—and the more practical one—is so you can hear the actors. The second reason is the closer you are to the action, the deeper you fall into the story. The characters broke the fourth wall numerous times to interact with the audience close to the stage, and even when they didn’t actively break the fourth wall it still felt more immersive than your typical stage performance. When you are between Romeo and Juliet as they are doing the balcony scene OVER YOUR HEAD, you can’t help but feel like an onlooker inside their world. Whereas, if you are fifty rows back and twenty feet above the stage where the actors are performing, it is more like watching a movie on a screen. Now, if there was more to look at all across the stage, a view from further back would be optimal, but there was little set other than a wall in the back with one door in the center and two smaller doors on the edges, as well as an opening at the top for the musicians (see first picture for reference).
This performance of Romeo and Juliet was western-themed which made the story more relatable, or at least familiar, for us Americans. The saloon backdrop, cowboy boots, and fringe jackets align with the staple of the American west. While all of the actors kept their accents, sometimes they slipped into a southern accent for a line or two.
It was very fun to have an experience watching theatre that is set up differently to allow for more connection between audience and stage. I ended the show with tears streaming down my face in a fluster of horror, pain, and awe. Not only because of the story but also the storytelling.
– Hadley Ayers ❤
Theatre in London U of A 