Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

This week I was able to see As You Like It, a Shakespeare Comedy play, performed at Shakespeare's Globe theater in London. Seeing one of Shakespeare's plays performed where it would have been shown originally over 400 years ago . Other than having to deal with ongoing tube strikes, it was an amazing experience that I recommend anyone in London do.

The Globe Theater, originally built in 1599, was rebuilt in 1997 on its original grounds in the heart of London. The theater goes for a very authentic experience with its plays. Actors do not use microphones, dress in traditional clothing, and the theater has cheap “seats” on the floor, where the audience will stand for the entirety of the performance. There is also actual seating in the balconies surrounding the stage, but the tickets are more expensive.

As You Like It was very entertaining. I never had the chance to read it, unlike Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet, before the performance, so I did not no what to expect for a Shakespeare comedy. A lot of the jokes still hold up today, which is a testament to the staying power of Shakespeare's work and the skill of the actors in the play. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the show.

However, getting to and from the theater was not nearly as fun. That evening, the entire London tube system went on strike, meaning the only mode of public transport was bus. We were able to take the tube there before it shut down, but had no such luck on our way back. To make matters worse, everyone else in London was trying to use the buses as well, meaning all buses were overcrowded or full. After waiting at our bus stop for 30 minutes and watching 3 full buses go by, we decided to walk the 5 miles home. It took over an hour, but we made it back, and it did not seem as far as I originally thought. It just goes to show that you need to be open-minded and flexible in order to have fun while traveling. ~Grayson

Winston's picture of The Globe

One of the things that I wanted to do most when I came to London was to see a play in the Globe theater. Although I have never seen a Shakespeare play before and I am not a huge history nut, it was just something that I felt I would really enjoy. I really loved it and I think that it may have been my favorite thing that I have done since I came to London. ~Ben