This far into shelter-in-place, it’s hard not to feel, as the eponymous character in Macbeth once bemoaned, âcabined, cribbed, confined.” And for those of us missing the thrill of live theatre, now seems like a pretty good time to get lost in Shakespeare’s timeless texts.
Thankfully, the Globe is on hand to assist. The world-renowned London theater began streaming its 2020 production of Macbeth this week, entirely free of charge on YouTube. The play, which opened Feb. 26 but was forced to close early due to COVID-related precautions, is fast-paced, intermission-free and designed specifically to appeal to a younger audience. (Take heed, parents with high schoolers at home!)
In addition, the Globeâa meticulous replica of the theater where Shakespeare presented many of his plays in the early 1600sâwill grant the world free access to some of its other productions until at least the end of June. 2018âs A Winterâs Tale will stream from May 18-31; 2019âs The Merry Wives of Windsor will stream from June 1-14; and 2013âs A Midsummer Nightâs Dream will stream from June 15-28.
What’s more, the Globe has also launched Love in Isolation: a series of bitesize videos in which actors (and occasionally members of the public) recite some of Shakespeare’s most treasured passages. Despite the plain clothes and domestic settings, some of the readingsâlike the one below from The Tempest by Alfred Enochâare surprisingly soothing.
The Tempest with Alfred Enoch | Love in Isolation | Shakespeare’s Globe Alfred Enoch performs Prospero’s ‘Our revels now are ended’ speech from Act IV scene 1 of The Tempest, as part of our Love in Isolation series. To celebrate …
While all of these presentations by the Globe are free, the theater asks viewers to consider donating.
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