I joke that I once saw the ghost of Shakespeare in the brasserie at Swan at the Globe. Well...I say I joke. I did see the ghost of Shakespeare in the brasserie. Fact.
Why wouldn't he be there? He spent his most significant adult years hanging around Southbank. I'm guessing he wouldn't want to spend eternity with the wife..why not check how his Globe is getting on.
Yes, yes. You're right, it's not his Globe, or even in the same place but I reckon he'd be pretty chuffed with the whole establishment. It's a great theatre, and I'm not saying that just because I work there. I'm saying it because it's a magical place where even the rain cannot dampen ones spirit because we're all part of the show. And all getting wet...actor and audience alike.
Besides, everyone wants a Shakespeare poncho.
So, we are currently in the middle of Globe To Globe festival. You could go to the theatre every night and see a different play in a different language. Being a fan of Will I booked tickets for three shows on the first day they were released, to since discover that staff members can just walk in for free. Fool. Tickets are only £5 though so it's no tragedy and I can pretend it's my contribution to the Jacobean theatre.
I'm spending some time being generally confused by the shows because I can unfortunately only understand one language. If I had a superpower I would like the ability to speak all the languages. Not just because this would then be the perfect festival for a newly smug me, but imagine the holidays...
I digress. What I meant to say was that I find it quite nice to not know exactly what's going on sometimes. And the best actors can be understood without words.
But Shakespeare is so much about language so I was very excited to see Othello: The Remix by the Q Brothers and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in a language I would understand: Hip Hop.
Now I accept that everyone is entitled to their opinion but the lady behind me who said she hated it should pipe down because hers is wrong. Clearly and obviously wrong because I've never seen an audience enjoy a show quite this much. The atmosphere was something like a party but with everyone from scholars, to babies, to students invited. A play that begins with a DJ and involves you getting high fived by Iago is bound to be fun.
OK, so this wasn't Shakespeare on a pedestal. The company said from the start that it wouldn't be the same, but that they were following in the footsteps of the bard himself and stealing the story, giving it a twist and making something new. I think Shakespeare himself would have been in the front row with his hands in the air.
The entirety of the play was rapped, and all the characters played by the four guys. All except Desdemona who existed in our imaginations as clearly as a physical presence on stage.
I laughed for most of the ninety minutes but it wasn't all comedy. The smothering scene was beautifully done and wonderfully painful. It was a moment of sensation and Desdemona became more tangible and alive even as she was killed.
Too many people think they don't like or don't understand Shakespeare, or that he's not relevant but this production proves them wrong. Yes, the language was different but the show was littered with references and quotes, not just from Othello, but many more of Shakespeare's works. Rap is not so distantly removed from poetry. Will would have loved the rhyme.
Of course the vocabulary is different now. The richness of Shakespeare's language is undeniable but we have so many more words today.
Anyone who can invent words like 'bump,' 'metamorphosed,' or 'madcap' must have been awesome. We can't really know for sure if he invented them, maybe he just wrote them down first but those words were probably the Elizabethan equivalents of 'chav' or 'tweet.'
I imagine an audience watching Shakespeare when he was alive felt the same about his language as I sometimes do when I see Will.I.Am on The Voice..envious that I can't describe something as 'dope' because I'm just not that cool.
Othello: The Remix was just a hugely entertaining and accessible show, in the true spirit of the festival and the Great Man. If you think you don't like Shakespeare get involved and see how timeless he is. If you're already a fan just enjoy.
Actually by now you've already missed it, unless you will be lucky enough to see them elsewhere. If not, there are whole new worlds to discover at Globe to Globe. And season proper starts soon so get your tickets.
Promo: done. I should get a bonus and a free poncho.
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