Globe Theatre brings Shakespeare ‘alive’ at the Cathedral

Jul 31 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Fergal McElherron (Antigonus) exits, persued by a bear, in Globe Touring's production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Picture: James Erskine _320

TONIGHT sees the beginning of the 2008 Liverpool Shakespeare Festival, with a weekend of performances of The Winter’s Tale by acclaimed touring company Globe Theatre in the settings of Liverpool Cathedral.

Shakespeare’s Globe has only hit the road again in the last two years, with the aim of presenting the works of The Bard as they would have been performed in his day.

Artistic director Dominic Dromgoole said: “We try and stay outside theatres as much as possible – we are determined to make our touring operation as different as we can to the operation at the Globe.

“We try and go to places that have got a bit of magic and charis-ma to add to the show. The cathe-dral has an historical resonance, an authority and power of its own.”

He added: “We are trying to re-vive the tradition of the old Globe, 400 years ago, where they would play a variety of places like town houses and pubs. We have discover-ed they played a lot of churches and cathedrals too, and the religious venues were happy to let in secular entertainment and let rip.”

A stripped-down cast of eight actors will perform The Winter’s Tale, described as “the perfect play for a summer’s evening”.

Convincing himself of his wife’s infidelity, Leontes, King of Sicilia, is driven into a jealous rage that tears his family apart. The disas-trous consequences of Leontes’ actions reverberate across genera-tions and national borders. Only his daughter, Perdita, left for dead in the wilds of Bohemia in her infancy, survives to redeem the tale.

“It’s a funny mix of tragedy, comedy and fairy tale. It is very immediately accessible for all ages and the story is easy to emotionally latch on to,” said Mr Dromgoole.

“Shakespeare comes alive in unorthodox places and one of the delights of us touring around is that you are able to get to people who wouldn’t otherwise see our work. It’s a mix of an extraordinary place and an extraordinary play, and it is delightful to introduce theatre in those circumstances – a return to the very old English tradition of presenting theatre whenever and wherever.”

The Globe will be performing The Winter’s Tale from tonight un-til Monday at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

An open air cinema from Thursday (August 7) to Saturday will show different Shakespeare adaptations, before a nightly outdoor run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the cathedral’s St James’s Gardens by the actors of Lodestar Theatre Company, the organisation behind the festival, from August 13 until September 7.

Tickets and more information see www.theliverpoolshakespearefestival.co.uk.

vickyanderson@dailypost.co.uk