201909891waws2022

[201909891waws2022]

Review: John Dove’s Measure for Measure at the Globe

Student Number : 201909891

Performance : Measure for Measure Live from the Globe, 19:30 04/09/2004, BBC4, 180 mins. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/004EDF0B?bcast=4201876 (Accessed 07 Dec 2021)

After a close reading of Measure for Measure written by Shakespeare, I decided that I wanted to find and watch a theatre performance of it. Due to financial restrictions, I was not able to visit the Globe theatre itself and watch a performance, but I did manage to find a recorded performance from BBC Four of a performance in the early 21st century directed by John Dove. I chose this performance specifically because it’s performed in the renovated Globe theatre which is as close to an authentic performance of a Shakespeare play as you can get. Shakespeare wrote his plays specifically to be performed in the Globe which is what makes the atmosphere of this performance so genuine and like how Shakespeare would have wanted his play to be perceived. An interesting thing to note about this performance is that the actors and entire production team are aware that they are being recorded live, this could affect how the play is performed, and it does to a certain extent, they must make sure that it reads the same on camera as it would to the live audience which gives the actors a far more difficult job. However, I do think after watching the entire performance it is very close to if not the same as the written version, every performance will differ in how things are portrayed and that is just part of the beauty of theatre.

One part of this performance I want to briefly focus on is the staging of this performance. It is performed at the Globe which has been renovated and is supposed to be a replica of the original Globe in which Shakespeare wrote his plays specifically to be performed in. This means that when he wrote the plays, he had the image of the stage and set up in mind which is why his plays work so perfectly in this setting. The stage in this performance Is interesting because there are 3 doors in the back of the stage covered by curtains, these tend to be used to the advantage of the play, the main way I saw it used was where the middle door was used for entrances and the doors either side are used for exits. This allows the actors to exit as others are coming on which allows for a more seamless exit and scene switch which makes the audience see the distinct scene changes less. This can be both a good and bad thing, it could be good because it makes the story and performance run more coherently. However, it could also be a bad thing because this could cause the audience to feel more lost and struggle to follow the scenes properly. I found it a good thing because I think it helped me to follow the plot easier but that could have easily been because I know the play well and have studied it in depth. Comparing the newer renovated Globe, which is the one that this performance is based in, to the original Globe, they are as similar as they could be from diagrams and pictures. If you look at them side to side, you can see many similarities.

 https://nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/theatres/globe-theatre/

      Another interesting way in which this performance uses the staging to its full advantage is regarding the columns you can see at the front of the stage. One part where I saw these columns being used well is around the timestamp 1:06:49. The Duke, who is disguised as a friar so that he can observe what happens when he is away and leaves someone else in charge, is hiding behind one of the columns so that he can listen in and eavesdrop on the conversation happening between Claudio and Isabella. This is interesting because the duke is hiding from the actors, but the audience can see him as well as Claudio and Isabella. This is smart in terms of staging because it keeps the aspect of him being hidden but also allows the audience to be fully aware of what is happening on stage and in the scene. This is a far better way to stage this scene rather than have the duke hiding in the back somewhere because it allows the audience to see everything, it also allows for chances of physical comedy from the duke. The entire concept of the duke being undercover adds dramatic irony into the performance itself but little moments like this where he is physically hiding away from the actors' increases and enhance this irony. It is moments like this that add up and dramatize the play, it also emphasizes the comedy aspect of the play, but it also adds moments for the actors to interpret the written play in their way and perform it in their style and way.

My primary focus when studying and analysing Measure for Measure was the topic of sex and desire, this gave me a good amount of background knowledge on how this topic was approached within this play, so it led me to see how this performance differs in the portrayal of it. During the performance, I noticed that the way the actors deal with anything regarding sex or desire is in a more comedic way than is portrayed through reading it. I found myself laughing at the jokes which surprised me because I don’t think I would be classed as the audience Shakespeare wrote his plays for. I think that’s part of the beauty of his plays, especially Measure for Measure because no matter what audience it is performed for it can be tailored and received in the same comedic way he intended. One joke in particular that came across to me as quite a modern version of comedy is “What’s he done?” “A woman”. The reason I found this funny and one of the best examples of a modern version of humour is because it is such dry humour that a lot of people in today’s society find it comedic. It is similar to the kind of jokes that you get on apps such as Tiktok or Twitter which are massively common amongst people in the 21st century. The main reason the comedy in this performance was so surprising to me when watching it is that it is profusely sexual humour, at the time when this play would have been originally performed this would have been seen as vulgar and unacceptable but nowadays it's seen as funny. One part of this performance that I found particularly interesting is when Isabella is begging Angelo to spare her brother’s life, it’s fascinating because it expresses Isabella’s hypocrisy. She is begging Angelo to pardon the crime of fornication which portrays her as viewing sex as less of a negative thing and not worthy of a death sentence however when presented with the ultimatum that if she was to give up her body to Angelo she is disgusted and refuses. The extreme reaction she has is rather comedic, even Angelo mentions the hypocrisy of it. The reason it is hypocritical is that on one hand, she is claiming that what Claudio did wasn’t that bad and then on the other hand she would rather let him die than commit the same offence.

In conclusion, I think this performance opened my eyes as to how funny this play is, as well as helped me view the characters differently. When studying the play, I was disgusted by Angelo and felt bad for Isabella however after seeing this performance I feel less sympathetic towards her and more sympathetic towards Claudio. His sister had the chance to save his life, and although in the end his life is saved, it is cruel of her to refuse to do that in the first place. But at the same time, it has me undecided because Claudio is unreasonable for asking her to. The only feeling and opinion I am certain of are that Angelo is the villain in this play.