To Shakespeare’s Globe! …on Wednesday afternoon.
“Is this Much Ado or As You Like It?”
…asked my theatre companion.
Oh dear.
Two and a half hours later and I still don’t think she knew what she had just seen.
This was something of a slow burner. It started off with half the cast wearing costumes that looked like those old naff toilet roll doll holders that your nan used to have.
SHOUT OUT to the company members who had to spend the first half hour simply holding a pose. It was like watching a game of musical statues.
It all livened up when one of the main young, virile love interests came to life. He ripped off his shirt, showing a pair of pecs that would put my calf muscles to shame. There were a few fainters in the crowd - male as well as female.
The casting was superb. Issues of social class were somehow explored and drawn out of the plot. Orlando in particular, played out his outcast role to perfection. There is no war but the class war, etc.
A subplot was taking place with the scenery. Live art was being created as the plot developed on some large white boards.
This worked out really well during all the All the World’s a Stage speech. The seven stages of humanity were portrayed in artistic form as the trees in the artwork went through their seasonal changes.
The climax, so to speak, got very saucy. The musicians up above were superb, with a Burundi drummer’s beat pounding out the thrust and rhythm to keep up with the plot.
Oh, I think it was As You Like It, luv.
