Eager volunteers gather at Shakespeare's Globe in London ahead of the theatre's May opening
London's famous Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames, the brainchild of American actor Sam Wanamaker, celebrates its tenth working anniversary of this year. For the uninitiated, the Globe is a facsimile of the theatre used by Shakespeare himself from 1599, when it first opened for business with 'Henry the Fifth', on the bustling southern bank of the River Thames. This is the second season with Dominic Dromgoole in charge of the recreated theatre as Artistic Director, and he is looking forward to it with relish, as he told the assembled volunteers who act as stewards, yesterday.
Shakespeare's Globe has already received some welcome pre-season publicity from two very different sources. Picking up on what seems to be something of a resurgence of interest in the date April 23rd, which is England's Patron Saint's Day and the Bard's birthday, London's Local Government and BBC TV both got in on the act. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, approved and enabled a weekend of entertainment in commemoration of the date centring on the theatre site, which attracted a family audience to a free spectacular featuring a costumed procession along the Embankment and the colourful illumination of the theatre itself. At the same time, the BBC's hugely popular sci-fi series, Doctor Who, contrived an episode where the Doctor and his cool, new assistant were transported back to the original Elizabethan site to meet a distinctly youthful and unbalding Bard. The TV exposure, in particular, is excellent PR in the Globe's ongoing efforts to appeal to young audiences, says Dromgoole.
Renaissance & Revolution
The season's plays have been tied to the theme 'Renaissance and Revolution', though to yoke together six very different works under any heading necessarily means some oversimplification. The six works in the programme include three Shakespeares - 'Othello,' 'the Merchant of Venice and 'Love's Labours Lost' - all set in the exciting and dangerous period of the European Renaissance.
To accompany them are three new works - Howard Brenton's 'In Extremis', Jack Shepherd's 'Holding Fire!' and 'We, The People' by Eric Schlosser. 'In Extremis' (Brenton's version of the story of Abelard and Eloise) has been revived from last year's programme for a two-week term in 2007, thanks to its popularity in Dromgoole's debut year. 'Holding Fire!', a picaresque story set at the time of Britain's challenging 19th century 'Chartist Movement', will be on view later this Summer. Schlosser's 'We, The People', explores the Founding Fathers of the United States and their vision of the country's future, based on their own, documented words.
Dromgoole also announced to his small army of volunteers that the Globe had gained approval from its stict guardians of architectual integrity to carry out some improvements to the auditorium which should improve both sightlines and acoustics for seated patrons in the Lower Gallery.
Committed volunteers
The theatre's voluntary stewards are a largely self-selected collection of drama lovers from all walks of life. More than 600 applied for the 2007 season. They all have their individual reasons for choosing to stand for hours in their free time, through sun or rain, to help the shows become a memorable experience for the audience. "I love theatre back home in Gemany as well", says university student Sunita from Freiburg. She is in London for four months for the benefit of advanced English skills, general life experience - and to be a part of the Globe. Near the other end of the age spectrum, Maggie, a retired Management Consultant and devotee of amateur dramatics, who has a packed CV to her name, has taken advantage of a relocation from the North of England to volunteer. They, with hundreds of others, will be taking their turns on duty during the Globe's May to October season.
