Retired - Not Out: Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare's Globe

To London, to see "Much Ado" at Shakespeare's Globe.

Homework:

I'm reasonably at home in central London, and can find my way around quite comfortably. Although we have been south of the river many times, to the Royal Festival Hall, Tate Modern, etc, we are not so familiar with the broader Bankside area, so this was an opportunity to explore a little more.

On arrival at St Pancras we made our way down to the southbound Thameslink platform and caught a train to Blackfriars station - a first for us.

To my genuine surprise we found that the station spans the width of the Thames, with entrances on both sides of the river. This composite photo shows the view downstream from the platform as we alighted:

Exiting on the south side of the river we saw clear evidence of the tidal nature of the river - at low tide there was a stretch of water barely 3-4 feet wide between the exposed shoreline and the first pier:

This view never ceases to impress:

The extension to the Tate Modern, showing its proximity to the NEO Bankside apartment buildings - the reason for much controversy:

Below the ominous clouds can be seen the BT Tower peeking above Blackfriars station:

A view of the entrance to the Bankside Pier and, beyond that, Southwark Bridge:

Your correspondent looking pensive (some might say grumpy):

To my left can be seen the exposed foreshore. A number of people were engaged in mudlarking - though how many of them knew of the need for, or possessed, a licence to engage in anything other than looking, was not clear.

A somewhat more cheerful looking Amanda, with the Millennium Bridge behind her:

The impressive chimney of the former Bankside Power Station (now Tate Modern):

I love the names of old London. Cardinal Cap Alley almost certainly no longer leads to a brothel, but it evokes imaginings of another time:

Similarly, Clink Street, which houses The Clink prison. If you look carefully you can see a gibbet cage hanging from the corner of the building:

Immediately adjacent to the prison is the Clink Street branch of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, where we sought and found sustenance.

For your correspondent, a 6oz Classic Cheese (though here I appear to be eyeing someone else's meal):

and for the 2IC, an Avocado Bacon:

My wife says I eat too quickly; I guess she now has photographic proof:

Sated, we headed out to stretch our legs before making for The Globe. Almost immediately we came upon the St Mary Overie dock, where rests an exact replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, The Golden Hind:

Making our way back to the theatre we passed the remains of Winchester Palace:

and back to Bankside Pier for some atmospheric shots of the river:

Glimpsed down a side street was the top of the Strata SE1 building, with its integral wind turbines:

In 2010 this building won the Carbuncle Cup; I was interested to find that Opal Court in Leicester won the same award in 2007 - though that fact seems to be notably missing from the University's publicity.

A poster for tonight's production:

Groundlings were starting to queue for access to the yard:

One final shot down-river:

and it was time to make our way inside.

We had a quick cup of tea in the Foyer Café Bar, bought a programme, hired two seat cushions and made our way to our seats - the back row of the middle gallery, fairly central. This composite of three photos gives a good impression of the view:

The obligatory but unflattering selfie:

The programme:

And the play?

As with Twelfth Night, this was a somewhat unconventional production, staging the action during the Mexican Revolution of 1915. And, as before, I enjoyed the show - but wasn't sure if the change of location, the modern-day additions to the text or the up-dating of some of the jokes added anything to the production. Also (feminists look away now) I'm not really sure what to make of Emma Rice's decision to aim for a 50/50 gender balance for roles in each play put on at The Globe. Does changing "Don John" to "Juanita", or "Antonio" to "Antonia" add anything artistically and, if not, can this 'affirmative action' be justified except as 'jobs for the girls'? Answers on a post card...

The Stage provides a useful summary of reviews from other publications, and for anyone wanting more details, these are all worth a look: