After scavenging around London looking for the theater, we finally arrived with only a few minutes to spear before the doors were shut and locked. The group was a little annoyed that we struggled to get there but once everyone walked in and heard the upbeat music, we relaxed and began to eat our lunches as the first character ran on stage. This was the first indicator that the play was going to be more laidback and modern. Playhouses and theaters do not allow you to drink, let along eat inside and the idea of a “lunchbox theater” is genus. It is not hard to picture Londoners who work nearby to drop in and watch a play during their lunch break ¾ I would do it every chance I got.
Normally, Shakespeare is dragged out and tough to piece together, which will make the less popular plays rather dull. However, The Bridewell Theater’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” sheds a new light on Shakespearean plays. It took the idea of something so serious and, for the younger generations, difficult to understand, and twisted it to make it more modern. This made the play easier to identify with and more fun to watch. The characters still spoke in the Shakespearean tongue and were a tiny bit confusing to follow, but the casual everyday clothing and body language helped keep every member of the audience on track.
Not only was it a more modern version, but also it was quick and to the point. The play, from start to finish, didn’t even last an hour. In fact, it took us longer to find the theater than it did to watch the play! Some would think that means there were gaps and missing acts. However, it didn’t miss a beat; all the necessary scenes were acted out and overall it was a great production (probably one of the better ones I have seen).
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