Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

After franticly wandering the streets near St. Paul’s Cathedral for forty-five minutes, we arrived at our destination, The Bridewell Theatre. Our anxiety was quickly replaced by excitement for the show to begin. The Bridewell Theatre is unique in that it offers a “lunchbox theatre” Thursday thru Friday at one in the afternoon. The actors were successful in performing a modern version of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. I think one of the most noticeable differences between the Bridewell’s production of the play and the more traditional productions of Shakespeare was the wardrobe. It was quite humorous to see actors and actresses perform in casual t-shirts and flip-flops and then speak in Shakespeare’s language. I think that translating a famous Shakespearean play to fit into our modern society is a great idea because it may then appeal to a younger audience who would not otherwise be interested in seeing a Shakespearean play. At the beginning of the play it was difficult to understand exactly what was going on, as I had never heard of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, but as the story line became clearer, I quickly started to enjoy it.

In addition to the theatre’s modern approach to Shakespeare, I really enjoyed the “lunchbox” aspect of the performance. The Bridewell allowed members of the audience to bring in their own food and to eat it during the show. I found this extremely convenient considering most theatres have a strict no eating or drinking policy. Another perk of the theatre was its promptness. The play began at one exactly and lasted no longer than forty-five minutes. I found this to be the perfect length for a relaxing afternoon performance. The Bridewell’s presentation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona has definitely sparked my interest in Shakespeare and I look forward to seeing another during my time in London.

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