There have been no posts for a while as I've been away for a few days, principally to see Henry IV Part 1 at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Anyone who thinks Shakespeare boring should go to the Globe, which presents generally brilliant performances of the plays in a setting as near as possible to the original. You do, however, need the strength to stand for the period of the production, or a backside inured to the discomforts of a hard wooden bench.
The performance was splendidly riveting and the King, played by Oliver Cotton, had an uncanny resemblance to my MP, Mike Wood, though Mr Wood, unlike Henry Bolingbroke, is happily more motivated by values than ambition.
The Globe is open to the skies, hence not insulated from extraneous noise. The sounds of revelers on the South Bank add to the ambience - that would have happened in Shakespeare's day. However, the Elizabethan audience would not have had to put up with the intrusive racket of jets flying overhead. The Globe offers one of the most amazing cultural experiences in the world. Surely it would not be asking too much for flight paths to be diverted a few miles on either side during the short summer season when performances are presented. Even London, commercial capital of the world (or so it likes to think) needs to put commercial values in their place from time to time.
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