Globe to Globe Blog: Another take on Shona Verona

GILES:
There’s
a
pigeon
in
the
theatre.
Repeat,
there
is
a
pigeon
in
the
theatre.
High
up
in
the
thatches
in
the
third
tier
of
punters.
There
are
generally
two
things
that
any
truly
great
performance
at
the
Globe
must
include,
a
tourist
fainting
and
a
pigeon
stealing
the
show.
One
out
of
two
aint
bad.
Well
half
out
of
two.
Hardly
anyone
else
notices
the
pigeon.
It’s
too
high
up
in
the
lofts.
Flapping
about
drunkenly.
The
tourists
sitting
near
it
notice.
It
flaps
towards
them
and
they
flap
it
away
and
all
of
a
sudden
they’re
all
flapping.
The
bird
pigeon
and
the
human
pigeons.

My
eye
is
cast
upwards
to
the
pigeon
play
going
on
up
there
in
the
Gods.
I
wonder
if
that
pigeon
is
the
great
great
great
great
great
great
great
grandson
(or
daughter)
of
the
pigeon
that
flew
down
and
crapped
on
the
stage
during
the
original
production
of
Macbeth.
This
is
of
course
an
event
that
I
make
up
as
I
sit
there,
but
it
could
have
happened
and
that’s
the
important
thing.

DAN:
Meanwhile
onstage
another
farce
is
taking
place.
Two
Gentlemen
Of
Verona.
Zimbabwe.

GILES:
My
father
was
from
Zimbabwe
and
I
don’t
know
the
play
at
all
so
I
was
excited
to
get
in
there
and
check
it
out.
It’s
one
of
those
Shakespeare’s
where
there’s
lots
of
crossed
purposes
and
confused
exchanges.
Love
letters
being
written
and
given
to
the
wrong
person.
He
wants
her,
but
she
wants
the
other
one,
who
wants
someone
else.
With
hilarious
consequences.

DAN:
Hard
enough
to
follow,
but
when
there’s
only
two
actors
playing
all
the
parts
AND
it’s
in
Shona
it
get
even
more
knotty
and
dazzlingly
bewildering.
Like
some
ancient
Chinese
riddle
game.
It’s
a
bold
choice
to
make
it
a
two
hander,
one
that
actually
adds
to
the
audience’s
experience
of
the
story.
We
are
in danger
of
being
as
confused
as
the
two
gentlemen
are.
It’s
supposes
to
be
a
comedy
and
this
production
certainly
is
that.
What
Denton
Chikura
and
Tonderai
Munyevu
do
is
start
by
emerging
from
out
the
trap
door,
peering
at
us
as
if
they’ve
just
set
foot
on
Mars.
Walk
to
the
back
of
the
stage
and
hang
various
garments
on
a
line
that
they’ve
strung
up.

Whenever
they
change
character
they
go
to
the
washing
line
and
grab
a
garment
that
represents
that
character.
Simple
enough
but
it
works.
There
is
always
a
cross-dressing
opportunity
in
these
productions
and
all
the
companies
pounce
on
it. The audience
roars
and
we
all
share
a
point.
Someone
puts
on
a
dress,
places
his
hand
on
his
hip,
rolls
his
eyes
and
speaks
in
a
high
voice
and
it’s
like
a
goal
is
scored.
What
these
companies
shrewdly
realise
and
take
advantage
of
is
the
fact
that
good
storytelling
is
70%
visual.

GILES:
People
keep
asking
us,
what’s
it
like
to see
all
those
productions
when
you
can’t
understand
a
word
they’re
saying.
Answer:
awesome.
You
know
you’re
not
going
to
understand
the
words
and
so
you
can
enjoy
the
story.

DAN:
In
a
way
the
experience
is
truest
when
you
see
several
productions
because
you
start
to
see
the
universality
of
the
plays.
Who
gives
a
shit
what
language
it’s
in
or
who’s
acting
in
it –
men,
only
women,
children,
one
man
show –
the
story
comes
through
loud
and
clear.
You
don’t
have
to
come
from
the
Home
Counties
to
do
these
plays.
You
have
to
be
a
good
storyteller.

GILES:
Ben
Johnson
famously
said
of
Will
Shakespeare
“He
was
not
of
an
age
but
for
all
time.”
I’d
like
to
say
he
was
not
for
a
nation
but
for
all
the
world.
This
festival
shows
just
that
and
we’ve
yet
to
see
a
production
that
wasn’t
enjoyable.
What
you
end
up
watching
is
not
just
the
characters
struggles
and
triumphs
but
you
see
the
actors
also.
It’s
a
joy
to
see
how
many
of
them
kiss
the
stage
at
the
end.

Audience
Member
Of
The
Night ‐ Woman sitting
in front
of
us taking
pictures
on
her
phone
gets
told
off
by
one
of
the storm
troopers.
Puts
her
phone
down
and
when
the
storm
trooper’s
gone
starts
talking
pictures
again.
Storm
trooper
returns
and
tells
her
off
again.
Phone
down.
Storm
trooper
goes.
More
pictures.
Storm
trooper
returns
pointing
this
time.
Woman’s
phone
starts
to
ring.
Woman
laughs
nervously.
Storm
trooper
confiscates
phone.
General
silent
approval.