One of the curent big attractions in for theatre breaks in London is a visit to "Shakespeare's Globe", but is it his, or an elaborate fake? From the first time I saw the Globe this bothered me. I worried that rather than giving us an 'authentic' experience of Tudor theatre it would turn the plays into a historical sideshow. All the work done to place the works in a timeless context, with modern dress and minimalst settings, that I've enjoyed over the last 20 years or so might be undermined, especially as the Globe does a great deal of work with schools.
Deciding to put my preconceptions on one side I set out to explore just what is good and not so good about this "Shakespearian Experience".  I assumed that most people there would be either American tourists (and I must confess to a rather stereo-typical view of them!) or A level students. Wrong! The mix is much the same as that of any London theatre audience and they behave in much the same way as they would in a more conventional theatre.

The groundlings (who stand for the entire performance!) are surprisingly quiet and respectful and this is where the whole idea of authenticity slightly falls apart. In the Tudor theatre the groundlings were a disrespectful rabble who were there for a good night out, to have a laugh and a  fight, or to 'do a bit of business'. They were essentially that dangerous beast, the London Mob, whose opinions and mood could turn in the blinck of an eye. They were constantly getting the theatres closed and the cause of numerous riots. It's hard to equate them with the groundlings of today, many of whom are university students who have managed to get some of the £5 tickets available on the day. But then students aren't what they were...... (sighs )


VideoJug: London: Shakespeare's Globe
The interior of the Globe is impressive, but "the play's the thing"  and for me I'd rather see  a modern  production in the evening and visit  the Globe, perhaps doing one of their theatre tours, during the afternoon.  That way I get to make the most of my theatre breaks in London