Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Festival - Globe2Globe
10 plays in 10 days consecutively in 10 languages was like crazy- soaking up all that energy from the stage..was an amazingly enriching and such a rare experience. Thanks to London 2012 festival and World Shakespeare festival, of which, this Globe to Globe festival is a part. It was like the excitement of doing a Theatre marathon as part of the Cultural Olympiad! ;) It is such a one-of-a-kind, never-before event. After missing out the first 10 days of plays,could only manage to see 12 in total, though wanted to watch a dozen more, of all the 37 of Shakespeare's plays ( http://shakespeare.mit.edu/ ) each performed in a different language by a different theatre company, from around the world, except one english home-production. Many were with same stories adapted into local cultures.
Of the ones I watched, languages from the Indian subcontinent included Urdu(Pakistan), Gujarati, Bangla, Afghan-Persian. Missed the Hindi one. Other languages were Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, German, French, Turkish, Hebrew, Lithuanian.. and there was even a language that I had never heard of before this event- Yoruba (Nigerian).
Meanwhile, the British Museum director, hosting an exhibition on London during Shakespeare's time, said about Shakespeare's time, "the exhibition would let us get into the heads of people in the theatres at that time.. 400 years ago people went to the playhouse to learn about the world".
I think that's very true for me as well ;)
It was a celebration of cultures from around the world as well, with the plays adapted to local settings - including the Maori..version of the play with the Trojan war background, 'Troilus & Cressida'
Of the ones I watched, languages from the Indian subcontinent included Urdu(Pakistan), Gujarati, Bangla, Afghan-Persian. Missed the Hindi one. Other languages were Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, German, French, Turkish, Hebrew, Lithuanian.. and there was even a language that I had never heard of before this event- Yoruba (Nigerian).
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"ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE!, And all the men and women merely players".
"The PLAY is The Thing!"-- But the language doesn't really matter;)) [The quotes, from 'As You Like It' and Hamlet] |
There were comedies and tragedies.. But contrary to my expectation, what transfixed me with dramatic intensity was this historical play Henry VIII. It was such..an ABSOLUTELY RIVETING PERFORMANCE by the Queen Katherine & King Henry VIII in Castilian Spanish!.. during their divorce trial.
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| Former Queen, Catherine of Aragon(below, left), is woeful after Henry VIII divorced her, and the King sired a child from his new queen Anne Boleyn(holding the baby), who was Catherine's former Maid-of-Honour. |
Even without understanding dialogue delivery, with their energy, emoting and body language, and voice/modulation/volume..I was enraptured like most audience.. a few times I realised my facial muscles were twitching with the frown.. and those moments ( during short dialogue pauses) my eyes scanned through the audience on the opp side('tis a theatre with a 'well-like' strucutre!).. and saw many contorted faces.. those Spanish who were hit with the full force of the power of those words and emotions! 
Couple of times I felt currents rushing down my nerves.. So it turned out to be a literally Hair-Raising performance!! ;).. At the end, the standing ovation went well past the customary 3-4times appearance of the cast, band and director.. to take the bow.. it went on and on.. The audience just stood and clapped until after they made the cast go back n return for bows at least 8 times!!
Couple of times I felt currents rushing down my nerves.. So it turned out to be a literally Hair-Raising performance!! ;).. At the end, the standing ovation went well past the customary 3-4times appearance of the cast, band and director.. to take the bow.. it went on and on.. The audience just stood and clapped until after they made the cast go back n return for bows at least 8 times!! |
| Antony &Cleopatra in TURKISH, performed by Oyun Atölyesi, troupe from Istanbul. The Last scene, of Cleopatra's Death, as she lets an Egyptian cobra bite her breast.:)) (Q Q) |
Meanwhile, the British Museum director, hosting an exhibition on London during Shakespeare's time, said about Shakespeare's time, "the exhibition would let us get into the heads of people in the theatres at that time.. 400 years ago people went to the playhouse to learn about the world".
I think that's very true for me as well ;)
It was a celebration of cultures from around the world as well, with the plays adapted to local settings - including the Maori..version of the play with the Trojan war background, 'Troilus & Cressida'
Some back-stage/rehearsal moments
Photo Slideshow of the12 Plays I watched from the Globe2Globe Series:
[Photography was NOT allowed. These are official photos released by the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I have collated them for my record]
..
Off-Stage Drama
There was some Off-stage drama as well:
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JEWS 4 JUSTICE 4 PALESTINIANS..
& JEWS 4 BOYCOTTING ISRAELI GOODS !!
This passerby seemed as surprised as I was, to know there are such groups as well! ;)
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Outside Shakespeare's Globe last evening b4 the staging of the play in Hebrew by Habima- National Theatre of Israel.
(Apparently estd in Moscow in 1905 aftr The Revolution &now settled in Tel Aviv)
There were 2 other groups of Palestine supporters with this gang, as another bunch shouted from other side of the street - The Zionists, saying NO TO BOYCOTT but YÉ to Peace talks..
During the play staged with unprecedented high-security ambience for a theatre, there were some shouting and slogans and unfurling flags inside, and those people young &old, jews & Brits, were removed immediately, some carried away by the spl 'Shows&Events' security personnel deployed.
Though the play started with an unusual introduction by Globe Theatre official saying these are only artistes and they should be respected, urging audience not to make it a political stage.
(Interestingly, there was also a Shakespeare play performed in Palestinian Arabic by Ashtar Theatre from Jerusalem/Ramallah, at the same venue 3 weeks back as part of the same Globe to Globe festival.)
Globe Theatre: Israeli play goes on despite protests
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18242422
From Kabul to London Via Bangalore!!
This Kabul troupe ('Rah-E-Sabz', The Path of Hope) delighted n charmed the audience @Shakespear'sGlobe with L-O-L slapstick 'COMEDY OF ERRORS' in Dari Persian. Threats & troubled times forced them out of Kabul, to rehearse @Nrityagram in Bangalore! (Below). Photo from external news link:
" The journey from Kabul to Bengaluru hasn't been without incident either. Faced with threats and violence, the group hoped to find refuge and complete their rehearsals at the British Council in Kabul until it was bombed, leaving nine dead. A decision was then taken to move the rehearsals to Bengaluru. For most of the actors it was their first time in India although almost all of them understand (and some fluently speak) Hindi thanks to the popularity of Hindi films in Afghanistan."
(A maid in it sings part of the bollywood song "Jiski beewi moti..", mocking her lady ;)
" The journey from Kabul to Bengaluru hasn't been without incident either. Faced with threats and violence, the group hoped to find refuge and complete their rehearsals at the British Council in Kabul until it was bombed, leaving nine dead. A decision was then taken to move the rehearsals to Bengaluru. For most of the actors it was their first time in India although almost all of them understand (and some fluently speak) Hindi thanks to the popularity of Hindi films in Afghanistan."
(A maid in it sings part of the bollywood song "Jiski beewi moti..", mocking her lady ;)
Shakespeare's Afghan journey: Reclaiming their cultural heritage
Shakespeare's Afghan journey to the Globe (Director Corinne Jaber- a French actress, explains why Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors is relevant to modern-day Afghanistan)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17159224
+WorldShakespeare Festival: Around The Globe in 37 Plays http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/apr/20/world-shakespeare-festival-globe-theatre-rsc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17159224
Labels: Globe Theatre, London, Shakespeare, Theatre
posted by Sujith at 8:26 PM
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