Brush up your Shakespeare
There were free tickets available at work for The Taming of the Shrew at The Globe. I'm not a Shakespeare fan at all, and further investigation that the production was designed for a family audience didn't improve things, but I decided that it was at the very least an opportunity to see The Globe. It turned out that our seats were in the front and dead centre. It took me a while to realise how lucky we were - it was the analogue of a position I have become used to over the years as a Prommer.
It was certainly a spirited performance, and not knowing the plot in advance didn't matter too much, though I'm sure if you do know it, you will get more out of it. Once of twice the campness headed towards that of a children's TV presenter or the Legz Akimbo Theatre Company; but on the other hand, there were also some dark moments and themes, on the position of women and domestic violence. It was interesting to compare and contrast with the Proms the use of the standing space. At the Royal Albert Hall, if a performance is using part of the arena, it's generally marked off on the floor as a no-go area; but at the Globe, the actors and stage hands just barged and cleared their way through when necessary, presumably a more authentic touch.
It was certainly a spirited performance, and not knowing the plot in advance didn't matter too much, though I'm sure if you do know it, you will get more out of it. Once of twice the campness headed towards that of a children's TV presenter or the Legz Akimbo Theatre Company; but on the other hand, there were also some dark moments and themes, on the position of women and domestic violence. It was interesting to compare and contrast with the Proms the use of the standing space. At the Royal Albert Hall, if a performance is using part of the arena, it's generally marked off on the floor as a no-go area; but at the Globe, the actors and stage hands just barged and cleared their way through when necessary, presumably a more authentic touch.