Theatre in London U of A

Soakin in the Sun with Shakespeare

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.

The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Just a few days ago I took a tube ride all the way Southwark, London, and crossed the Millennium Bridge to see one of London’s most famous theatres. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was built in 1997 by architects Theo Crosby and John Orrell. It is a replica of the Globe Theatre that was built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. The company William Shakespeare wrote for, and part owned. Sadly, the original theatre burned down on June 29^th, 1613. Three years before Shakespeare’s death. The fire was caused by a piece of burning wadding from the small cannons that were used in a performance of Henry VIII landing on the Globe Theater’s thatched roof. Thankfully, there were no causalities. The original Elizabethan playhouse is where the English poet, William Shakespeare wrote and produced most of his plays. It is said that the first play that Shakespeare wrote for the Globe Theatre was Julius Caesar in the year 1599. One fact about the Globe Theatre is that when the patrons fell out of favor with Queen Elizabeth I, their landlord Giles Alleyn wanted to cancel the Lord Chamberlain’s Mens’ lease on the land and tear down the theatre. However, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men took it upon themselves to deconstruct the entire theatre in the middle of the night and transport the materials across the river Thames and reconstruct the new theatre in Southwark, London. Their great efforts are what saved the Globe Theatre.

I’ve been in London for almost a month, and I have visited Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre twice. The first time I went to the theatre I saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This time I saw The Comedy of Errors. The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare’s first ever plays. It is also one of his shortest plays. The Comedy of Errors tells us the story of two identical male twins who were separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse sail to the Greek city of Ephesus. Where the twin brother, Antipholus of Ephesus lives with his wife, his wife’s sister, and his servant Dromio of Ephesus. However, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse don’t know this. Once Antipholus of Syracuse steps into the city, he encounters friends and acquaintances that mistake him for his twin brother, which causes chaos to ensue throughout the entire play. The townsfolk and the twins themselves do not find out that they are twins until the end of the play.

The Casting Director of The Comedy of Errors did an excellent job of casting the actors who played the twin brothers and the Dromios. Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus looked so similar that I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were related to each other. Also, for the first 20 minutes of the play, I didn’t realize that there were two Dromios. They looked almost identical, and their voices sounded the same. The only difference between the two Dromios was that the Dromio of Syracuse had a slightly thicker mustache than Dromio of Ephesus. Every actor played their character well; however, some actors didn’t let the lines hit them, and a few conversations sounded like they were just reading words off the script. Besides that, it was a wonderful production, and I would love to see it again in the future.

Moshing at the Globe

I started off the day by going to the World’s End to have my first drink of beer as a 21-year-old. I turned 21 two days before we left for the trip and I haven’t really had any interest in drinking yet so I never did. The World’s End was incredible, I did not expect it to be so punk rock. I ordered the house ale and hated it. I drank about a third of the beer before quitting because it tasted so bad. I do not know how people can drink enough to get drunk it was miserable. I don’t think I will drink again any time soon. it just isn’t for me. Ultimately I am glad I went because the pub had such a cool atmosphere and I had fun with folks… also there is a volume of The Sandman named after the chain.

Paddington loved the ale but I had to cut him off.

Anyway, on to what this post is really about…The Comedy of Errors.

I am in love with the Globe Theatre. I wish there were more shows playing there while I am here but there are not. I believe that the next show they are putting on there is Macbeth and I would kill to see it. I love the stage and the ornate canopy of the heavens. I love how the actors interact with the audience. Serval times in this play characters came out on boats that people standing on the ground had to make way for. Brittany and I stood for this show and I loved it so much. I was so close to the action and the sun was not on me at all. The actors made the audience feel like they were part of the show. There were some moments when actors would point at the groundlings and make a comment or use them as a jumping-off point for the script. A child screamed and cried “I want to go home” and the actors reacted to it in character, it was amazing–I mean, not the child screaming “I want to go home” that made me sad but the actors were cool.

I believe that seeing the show in person on the stage was far more confusing than reading it–which I suppose is the point–While reading the play you can very clearly tell which of the twins is on stage because they include the initial of where they are from by their name; Dromio S., Dromio E.

On stage, it becomes clear how people could confuse the sets of twins as they are wearing the same outfit and (at least the Dromios) looked nearly identical. As I said, Brittaney and I were standing in the mosh pit for this production so we got a much closer look at the twins. From where I was I still had a hard time telling who was who so I can only imagine how those who sat farther back with the sun in their eyes must have been.

I will be honest I do not care for this play. It was very cool to be in the Globe, I looove the Globe, but this script is not for me. The Comedy of Errors feels like a Family Guy bit that goes on for a real minute and you just have to sit there and watch it. It is the same joke over and over for an hour and a half and then it is over.

I saw a production of this show when I was like 12 or 13 with my church’s youth group and I really did not like it then because I did not understand it and the set was very strange. The set was like a large wall painted like a town with windows to stick the actor’s head out of…I do not recall a lot from that show but they for sure did not engage the audience as much as this show did.

I think that in Shakespeare’s day, they did not have big subtitle signs on the walls to help people keep up but I am glad they had it for this production.

Shakespeare’s Globe Part 2

A couple days ago we went back to Shakespeare’s Globe to see “Comedy of Errors”. Every time I see the globe I get shocked how small it actually is inside. This time we had a direct center view of the stage, and I honestly would’ve loved to have the seats we had last time. It was very sunny outside and throughout the play the sun was creeping up my leg. I was praying to God that it wouldn’t get higher than my knees because I was in a black top, and that would’ve ended badly. Last time the seats didn’t bother me, but this time I wish I bought the cushion. Now I know that if were return to the globe I would pay the three pounds for a tad more comfort.

“Comedy of Errors” to me was more enjoyable to watch than Midsummer. I laughed at the jokes more and enjoyed the characters a lot more. I did realize I was looking at the subtitles a lot. I wish I could’ve seen them during Midsummer, because it would have been more helpful in understanding some characters. The part that excited me most was the little fight scene in the beginning. It went on for like a good five minutes. The way it was blocked was so funny, there was so much happening and I was cackling through it all. The set was very simple, like most shows that they do. I did very much like how they would row people in on a wooden boat. Every time I wish I was in the lobby to see it from outside. The costumes also helped me distinguish who was who, which made it more clear on who was talking. Finally the best part…the wigs. My favorite wig was the blonde bob on this guy in the beginning. They had me laughing so hard, same with the guy with the brown bob. This production did live up to how I envisioned it on stage. The actors looked so similar to one another, and they did so well on keeping the same mannerisms alike.

I can’t imagine how they would’ve put this on in Shakespeare’s day. Would they know how to make things more funny? Would the costumes be as great? This is what trips me up when I see a play at the globe. How did they perform back then and make it good? The modernist that this show brings; at least to me, makes it more enjoyable to watch. This was one of my favorites to read and I’m so happy I got to see it being performed at the globe.

Hirschy Highlight: The world needs less women in Chevron dresses.

We had already been to a show in the Shakespeare Globe Theatre, but our afternoon watching The Comedy of Errors felt very different than before. First of all, I will never get tired of the Globe Theatre. It is possibly one of my favorite theatre venues I’ve been to, especially outdoor venues. The stage isn’t too high up, and the seating arrangement creates a very intimate space. And depending on your seat, you get a completely different view of the story and can sometimes witness things that you wouldn’t catch in another seat. While that may be upsetting, as you may miss something that everyone laughs at, it creates the intimate moments that make theatre so fun.

My favorite example of this was from when we saw Midsummer, and one of the characters who was playing a lion turned to face us and made a specific face of pride before turning to the back of the stage. Only our side of the theatre witnessed this moment, and my description of the moment doesn’t do their performance justice. But the moment was hilarious nonetheless.

Now, A Comedy of Errors is not my favorite show. The script itself is very slapstick and can be extremely confusing to explain and follow. I think the cast did a great job at bringing these scenes to life, and the direction and costumes really helped tell the story. The casting of the two sets of twins was very good as they really resembled each other while not being related. The costumes for the twins were also identical, which helped sell their similarities. It did make the first introduction of both sets of twins confusing, as I talked to a few people who thought the same actors were playing both roles.

But, this specific show had its downsides that were not at fault to the production or cast itself. We just so happened to have very bad luck with outside disruptions. This specific show had subtitled captions that were displayed on screens on each side of the stage. While this was helpful because of the location of our seats and the confusing plot, it became very distracting. I found myself watching the screen to follow along more than I was watching the stage. Because we were seated in the middle section of seats in comparison to the left like we were for Midsummer, we were much further away from the stage itself. The actors on stage didn’t have microphones for the production, so the distance made it harder to hear them if they weren’t facing us.

To make matters worse, there were so many distractions throughout the show that made it much more difficult to hear them. Between the screaming, and I mean screaming, child and the groups of people who wouldn’t stop talking, I was not focused on the show at all. A child was screaming “I want to go home” very loudly throughout the first scene, which explains all of the backstory and character origins of the two sets of twins. Throughout the entire show, there were at least four helicopters and possibly more than two or three airplanes that went directly over the stage. We also had the luxury of sitting near groups of people who complained and expressed themselves very loudly.

The group of older women in front of us were complaining about the sun, which is another distraction we encountered, and a group of men to our right were just very rowdy. The show was a matinee, so the sun was nearing its peak when the show began. For the last half of the show, we all pretty much had every article of clothing covering our arms and legs to shield them from the sun. I’m just glad I wore my sunscreen. But possibly the worst distraction was the man a few seats away from me who had decided it was appropriate to take off his shoes and socks for the entire show. His bare feet sliding across the wooden floors of the theatre were enough to send goosebumps down my spine and an ache in my stomach.

The show, under normal circumstances, is probably fantastic. I think the acting was phenomenal, and the comedy landed most of the time (if I was able to hear it). But, the experience of that particular show was not as memorable, for the right reasons, as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I still love the Globe Theatre and wish I could come back. I would love to see Romeo and Juliet performed here as I know I’d be able to understand Shakespeare’s style more. I love the Globe, and I hope to be able to return someday and give A Comedy of Errors another chance.

Comedy of Errors – Day 17

Day Trip to Spitalfields Market.
Tried a burrito bowl this time, too spicy for my taste but it was okay.
Tried Humble Crumble, yummy but hit my tummy like a ton of bricks.
Tried to find iced tea, couldn’t find it anywhere, but they had enough hot tea, coffee, and boba to nourish an army.
Finally made it into the gift shop at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Got to see a replica of the Globe made out of legos, see one of the first folios, sit in a coronation chair, and see a Queen Elizabeth I costume from the 90’s.
Watched Comedy of Errors while baking in the sun.
Giant Group Dinner before our free weekend and traveling to Amsterdam.
Headed out for karaoke night, had a blast singing and sweating our butts off.
Slept for a little and then headed for the Airport!

Comedy of Errors was not my favorite play when we read it in class, so I was most looking forward to how they would be handling all of the fight choreography, all of the boats, and then potential doubling as we have seen that a lot already. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in to see that they had screens that were showing exactly what the actors were saying mounted around the globe. I thought that would be a fun and simple way for a lot of people to understand more of what was happening, since sometimes it is hard to understand Shakespeare especially if you haven’t read it before seeing it. And these screens can help people with hearing deficiencies or people who have hard time understanding the accents. I think that the screens helped to an extent but they also hendered as well. As I found myself watching the screen a lot and forgetting to watch on stage. I had to keep reminding myself to look at what was happening and not be so worried about the text, that I had already read.

For the stage combat, I loved it! They had a lot of it! I personally felt like the introduction fight scene, which was just a lot of the townspeople fighting with each other before the Duke comes in to announce who will be beheaded that day, was a lot and maybe not necessary. But if the message they were going for was to show a town in complete chaos and at the complete mercy of their Duke, then they achieved that. I do think it came a little out of left field, but it warmed up the audience for the rest of the slapping and punching that was going to be coming later in the show.

Every stage punch, slap, or hit that was performed was accompanied by a stick being slapped together by a member of the band that was above, I think this really played into the comedy and slapstick (literally) comedy that Shakespeare was going for. And it not only shocked the audience but made us giggle. I was impressed by how on time the band member was every single time! He did not miss a sound cue by a second, he was spot on!

The boats that came in through the audience was also a really fun add on that I enjoyed, I think this really played into the audience involvement. Which seems to be a recurring theme in the shows that we have been seeing at The Globe. If there is a subtle way to involve the audience they will, whether that is addressing sounds that come from audience members, actors exiting or entering from the audience, or simply addressing them directly. I think this really added to the experience and made it feel like we were a part of Ephesus and watching this all unfold around us, which I really think gave a somewhat lackluster play more pizazz.

I believe that all of the involvement with the audience, band, and even the weather is exactly what it would feel like going to see a show back in the day. It was an event and everyone treated it as such, I’d like to think Shakespeare would approve of what is being done to his work and theatre.

Ah, thy sun tis bright

I have attended two performances at the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe. Let me say, the best view is an illusion. For our second performance, Comedy of Errors, we had traditional good seats: dead on the stage. However, there is the slight problem of the sun. Yes, the glorious day star which is notoriously bright shined right on us for the entire two hour performance from 2 until 4 pm. The Globe did not have a roof, so the sun shined right in. Sitting in the front row of the bay, I am pretty sure I got the beginnings of a tan (I definitely get the sweats). The sun hung just so in the sky where it created an awful glare for viewing the stage from dead on, and sadly, my sunglasses just made the whole thing worse.

Comedy of Errors is clearly an early Shakespeare play in script. A tedious repetitive script was expertly executed by a wonderful cast. At least, I think so. I was often distracted by trying to find a comfortable position and actually bring myself to stare at the stage despite the sun. My favorite part of the whole play isn’t even in the script. After the postponing of the beheading which opens the play, a marvelously rambunctious fight scene took over the stage. It was fun to see the actors run around the stage brandishing swords.

In defense of the seats, I could at least see when the balcony was employed during a short stint. It had been difficulty to watch the characters in the balcony in Act 5 of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream from stage right.

The Globe theatre itself is beautiful. The heavens of the stage are beautifully painting. The base color is a deep blue more similar to the ocean than to navy. The sun adorns one corner and the moon the other. I had an amazing view to periodically gaze up and examine the ornately decorated roof of the stage during A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. Brown marble columns dot the stage, and while they are detailed, they also somehow appear a cheap, plastic even. I loved seeing the decorated box seats on either side of the stage. These special boxes had seafoam green walls with mythological imagery in white and gold.

On the staging, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream played better to the roughly 270 degrees of viewing that surrounds the stage. While I had trouble focusing due to the burning glare of the sun, Comedy of Errors seemed to have blocking which did not take the whole theatre in account. Even if I would have been able to see better in the side bay seats, I do not think I would have actually been able to see more of the story played out.

If the performances were anything like the two we saw, it would have been fun to be a groundling. The actors interacted with the audience without directly breaking the fourth wall. We, the audience, were brought into the story taking place on stage, none more so than the groundlings. Cast members came up through the audience to take their place in the scene. A baby crying taking away from the performance? Nah! The actors gracefully incorporate the nuisance into their performance as if this happens every show.

I will saw I liked the closed captions provided on two led screens during Comedy of Errors; it is hard to miss a word when the script is scrolling within your eyeline. Also, seeing Comedy of Errors is a much better experience than sludging through the script. Although, I do believe this to be true of every Shakespeare play no matter how good the script is.

Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre

I really enjoyed going to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Comedy of Errors! I enjoyed the plays a lot more than I thought I would, I have never been big Shakespeare fan because I get confused when trying to read and understand the language, but watching the plays are so much different which I think made them much more enjoyable for me I finally understood what was happening because I could see it happening instead of just guessing what was happening while reading words I didn’t know the meaning of.

I also really liked the design elements of the space, the stage was beautiful, I liked the balcony where the musicians played and the 3 couples watched the play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I loved the pillars (except when I couldn’t see around them in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, until I moved) I thought that the ceiling was very creative because it looked like you were looking up into the sky and could see consultations and what I think to be some of the zodiac signs. I love the idea of the open space theatre like the one in Regents Park, and I like the idea to perform the plays during the day so you can use the natural light. The only downside to using the natural light as an audience member is that I had the sun straight in my eyes for most of Comedy of Errors, I think because I had the sun in my eyes and I was very uncomfortably warm that made the show a little less enjoyable for me. That being said I still think it was a great production and I really enjoyed the show. Another thing I thought was interesting was that everyone was double casted in both shows, I loved trying to figure out who was who and which characters that they played. Also, I enjoyed how the characters would interact with the audience and leave the stage and move around in the standing room section.

I felt very lucky to be able to see these shows in such a historic place that has been around for such a long time, sure the seats were very uncomfortable and left me sore for a few hours after the show, and standing would probably be just as bad, but I got to see a few productions that pleasantly surprised me. Back in Fayetteville when we had to read Comedy of Errors and write a scene analysis, I think that helped me understand this play a lot more. Overall, I really liked seeing the plays at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre much more than I thought. I would recommend that anyone go see a play there even if you don’t like Shakespeare that much, just go for the experience and to see such a cool and historic theatre space.

A Groundling at the Globe

On this trip, we have seen two different shows at the Globe theater, and both of them created a completely different experience. For A Midsummer Night’s Dreams we sat off to the side of the stage for the more modern enactment of the play, where it was difficult to see, but the actors did a fine job of interacting with our side as well. For the second act of that play, I stood as a groundling, and that was a completely different experience. I had a lot more fun there than in the seats.

The second show we saw at the Globe was A Comedy of Errors. This was a closed captioning version of the show, so they had the words on screens on either side of the stage. I think it’s wonderful that they are making theater more accessible, but it was extremely distracting because I found myself watching the words instead of the actors, so I think it would have been better for me to see a different showing of the play. Our seats for this show, however, were right in front of the stage. Minus being in direct sunlight, it was one of the best views I think we could have gotten from the globe.

The play itself was done really well. The casting was also done so well that I couldn’t tell the “twins” apart for the first few acts. It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting because when we first read the play in class, I watched another production of a Comedy of Errors. When this version of it started, I was very confused because they started it off with a fight scene that I didn’t remember taking place, and I thought we were watching the wrong play. Once we got into the first actual scene I was back on track.

Overall, I enjoyed being at the Globe, and I’m glad I got to experience different productions from different views because you definitely pick up on different aspects of the story when you have different viewpoints. I think that A Midsummer Night’s Dream felt more like what it would’ve felt like during Shakespeare’s days because there were significantly more people filling the seats than there were at a Comedy of Errors. I think the people are what make parts of these productions so successful, and that’s the part we’re missing in some of the Shakespeare productions we do in America.

My reaction to realizing the R2-D2 talks at the Disney store

As a side note, I had a very entertaining long weekend. It was full of all the geeky stuff I enjoy taking part in back home, and it was a fun experience. This weekend I saw a total of three plays including The Phantom of the Opera, SIX, and The Play That Goes Wrong. They were all fantastic from the sets to the acting to the costumes, and the singing in the first two was phenomenal. I now have the goal to one day make enough money to sit in the box seats for Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theater because it was so amazing. I also found the TARDIS, went to 221B Baker St., went to The Beatles store, went to the Disney Store, and I went to the Warner Brother’s Harry Potter Studio Tour. I was there for over four hours (so you can imagine how much I enjoyed it), and I got a really cool architecture wand at the end. 🤓 I think it was a very successful and productive weekend.

I have more photos from this than anything else on this trip, so reach out to me if you want to see more!

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time<3

6/12: Comedy of Errors and Shakespeare’s Globe 2: Electric Boogaloo

There were a lot of good aspects when seeing Comedy of Errors at the Globe; the acting was great, some of the jokes were spectacular, and the staging was very funny. Yet there were two major elements that detracted from my viewing experience, the scorching hot rays of the sun and the very distracting captioning devices that were resting on the balcony. The seats that we had gotten this time around were much better than they were for our viewing of Midsummer a few weeks back, however the sun was beaming down, directly Into the stands that we were sitting in, and it slowly roasted many of us that were sitting in the first two rows. Personally, I did feel tired from the sun, but I did not get a sunburn so I kinda ‘lucked out’ by sitting in the place that I did. The acting was very good and all of the actors were very funny, but I had trouble not getting distracted by the two large screens of captions. Almost every time that someone was slapped, I realized that I had naturally gone to read the captions, rather than watching the performance, and it felt like I kept missing various reactions or punchlines because of them. There were a lot of other distractions during this show as well, which I know the play is not at fault for, however they did still affect my experience and reaffirmed my belief that babies shouldn’t be taken to see Shakespeare at an outside theatre when it’s hot enough to cook an egg. That does not bode well for the baby. I’d probably be crying too to be entirely honest.

My final opinion of Comedy of Errors as a play is that no matter how funny your actors are or how cool the staging is, a script that repeats the same joke over and over again is not gonna become less repetitive. I would say that, similarly to Dancing at Lughnasa, I enjoyed the production of this piece a lot, but I don’t quite like the script. I think that, as a critic from the time, I would say that Shakespeare has a lot of potential, given that it is one of his earliest works.