Getting my Shakespeare on

There are some things that are quintessentially British and I am under the impression Shakespeare is one of them.

I had already visited the Shakespeare’s Globe for a tour when my best friend came to visit me in London last year so I had already marveled at the age and the structure of the building. However since I arrived in London I have been keen to get the full experience and actually see a production.

Lucky for me this season there was a production of a show that I had heard of and was interested in seeing- A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

On the night we went it was not particularly warm in London (although at least it wasn’t raining!) and im guessing it was 8-10 degrees. However they cater for this by offering hot drinks and blankets to purchase. Nb/ for those of you who aren’t aware the Globe is completely open and has no roof on it.

The price of the tickets to see the shows vary but we chose to sit so we paid £20 but you can pay £5 and stand (like the peasants in the old days) in front of the stage for the duration of the almost 3 hour show. A lot of people did stand and the venue was sold out which is a huge indication of its ongoing popularity.

The show was quite a spectacle. I had quickly wiki’ed the story before I left work that day and I was glad I did! You do forget how complex the language is and how elaborate Shakespeare was with not only describing situations/feelings but also in the storylines he wrote. The way the script had been adapted was so great that you didn’t feel bogged down in the words and you could enjoy the occasional joke.

The actors were fantastic. They were so well trained to switch from one character to another that you almost forgot who was playing who. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the actress who played Puck was sensational, I was amazed with her acting skills, enthusiasm, dancing and singing skills.

I would definitely go back to watch another production and im sad I didn’t book in earlier so I could have seen some of the classics they had done in previous years- every other Londoner out there learn from my mistake!

This experience was a good reminder of how much I love the theatre and how talented some people are, definitely inspiring.

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