It’s a hot July evening, a day of political upheaval, and nothing can provide a better antidote than sitting in the beautiful Bodleian quad, sipping on a G&T, and roaring with laughter at what is arguably Shakespeare’s silliest play.
The Comedy of Errors is farce at its finest. As children, Antipholus and his servant Dromio are separated in a shipwreck from their respective identical twins. Assuming Antipholus and Dromio are dead, Antipholus’s father renames his remaining son (and servant) after the lost boys. When, as grown men, both sets of twins (now both named Antipholus and Dromio) find themselves in the city of Ephesus, chaos ensues. Antipholus of Syracuse cannot understand why everyone seems to know him in the street; he has somehow acquired a wife; a goldsmith appears to gift him a fine chain. Antipholus of Ephesus can’t fathom why his wife has barred him from his own home; why his servant doesn’t appear to understand his orders; why he owes his goldsmith the money for a fine chain. This is a delightful comedic romp, filled with Shakespeare’s characteristic enjoyment in letting the audience fully in on the joke, while leaving everyone on stage in the dark for as long as possible.
Shakespeare’s Globe on Tour does a wonderful job with this production. As always, they keep a stripped back stage – two levels with plenty of doors for comings and goings; and the costumes are simple – each actor wears the same basic outfit, draped with different robes to distinguish characters. The actors sing and perform music in the intervals, and the energy is kept high throughout. The standard of acting is (as expected) exceedingly high, but Beau Holland steals the show with her portrayal of Dromio of Syracuse – her comic timing and physical comedy are the highlight of what is already an excellent performance.
The company is performing The Comedy of Errors, Pericles, and Twelfth Night on various nights over the coming week at the Bodleian in association with the Oxford Playhouse – with sunny weather forecast, and superb productions promised, treat yourself to a night (or three) at the theatre! ★★★★★ @BookingAround 24th July 2019
