I know the Globe theatre’s seen as just a bit of a tourist attraction by lots of theatre folk (and I remember my Shakespeare tutor at college giving a talk there that basically said the whole thing was a waste of time), but I went on Saturday afternoon (as part of a hen do) for a matinee performance of As You Like It – and it was great.
It’s a fun play (comedy, with all the Shakespearean staples: dispossessed dukes, a forest, a fool, cross-dressing, bawdiness and falling in love) and one I hadn’t seen live before. We were groundlings (standing) and it all added to the fun, Saturday-afternoon vibe. The cast was brilliant – props in particular to Audrey, Jacques and Touchstone (the fool), who had the audience eating out of his hand.
And I have to say – the Swan bar, where we had a few reserved tables before/after the play and during the interval, was a lovely place to be on a sunny summer afternoon too. But I think I’m glad I made my excuses before the night got too messy…
