Live Broadcast of Midsummer Night's Dream from London's Globe Theatre
September 11, 2016 10:38 AM   Subscribe

Live Broadcast of Midsummer Night's Dream. Right now! "First ever production to be live streamed around the world from The Globe. Sunday's sold-out show is the final Dream performance in the Wonder Season. The Globe says to expect naughtiness of a sexual nature!" The production has gotten some fine reviews: "a glittering, unnerving comic triumph."
posted by storybored (72 comments total) 31 users marked this as a favorite
 
Amazing! Wow! Thanks for sharing.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 11:03 AM on September 11, 2016


just tuned in, incredible so far! gives you sense of being there
posted by Vitamaster at 11:04 AM on September 11, 2016


Totally agreed, i love the audience shots too, people are clearly enjoying it!
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 11:09 AM on September 11, 2016


Oh my god, these costumes and these upskirt filmings of Titania up the legs.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:12 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


You could have given us some warning. You know what happened to another Shakespeare character who hesitated to act.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 11:16 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


Hooo boy, one of the girls is a gay guy.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:18 AM on September 11, 2016


Awesome! Thanks for sharing this!
posted by emmet at 11:23 AM on September 11, 2016


And now Lysander(?) just whipped off his pants down to his underwear and climbed on top of Hermia. After she fended him off, he's pulling White Guy WIth Guitar moves.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:29 AM on September 11, 2016


And now Puck is riding his ass and poking at it while making hipster jokes.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:32 AM on September 11, 2016




Dang, get_iplayer isn't working here in the Former Colonies. :7(
posted by wenestvedt at 11:34 AM on September 11, 2016


This guy playing Lysander, well....he's really reminding me of David Tennant in full scenery-chewing mode. So hot.
Meanwhile, Helena(?) just broke out a first aid kit and gloves for safety to check if Lysander was dead. Imagine his surprise!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:38 AM on September 11, 2016


Wait a minute, here's Pyramus as John McClane.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:46 AM on September 11, 2016


oh how I love a play within a play
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:46 AM on September 11, 2016


if you want to follow the text, we're just getting to Act III. Scene II. Another Part of the Wood.
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:53 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


Titania has a lot of underwear
posted by storybored at 11:53 AM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Lotta stripping down to underwear in this play right now....Titania sure has a lot to have to take off.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:54 AM on September 11, 2016


Do we know what the neon says? "Rock the [something obscured]"
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:56 AM on September 11, 2016


Titania doing the dance of the seven knickers?
posted by Jode at 11:57 AM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


The neon seems to say "Rock the Ground," but as for meaning, no idea. Been fun, and casting to my TV is working nicely.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:59 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


"Rock the ground," from a line that comes in Act 4.
posted by escabeche at 11:59 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


neon sign says: "rock the ground" (a quote from the play)
posted by Vitamaster at 11:59 AM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


I hope this is being recorded, for those of us without access at the moment.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 12:17 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oberon just licked Demetrius and now they're semi-...oh, Puck just hopped onto the writhing pile....

You all make a giant racket, I'm amazed nobody wakes up!
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:21 PM on September 11, 2016


Bow-chicka-bow-wow just started playing now that Demetrius has been magicked and saw Helenus.

Lysander is now wearing a shirt that says, "I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."- --Jack Kerouac."
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:25 PM on September 11, 2016


These three guys groping/fighting/whatever on stage is...something else. Meanwhile, Oberon and Puck are having a picnic while they watch. I'm expecting popcorn to come out.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:26 PM on September 11, 2016


we need to bring back "fie"
posted by roger ackroyd at 12:28 PM on September 11, 2016


Now all the guys are putting on lip balm.

HERMIA'S TAKING HER EARRINGS OFF.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:30 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


Puck is AWESOME.
posted by storybored at 12:35 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


That Indian child puppet is so cute.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:45 PM on September 11, 2016


I've "died" up against that stage-left pillar.

Who wants to touch me?
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 12:50 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


I've never seen a Puck / Ageius double casting. I kinda like it.
posted by Uncle at 12:52 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh goody, everyone's taking off their clothes again.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:55 PM on September 11, 2016


Time for the inevitable Bowie tribute!
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:01 PM on September 11, 2016


Oh, Shakespeare: gotta have every single actor say in great detail exactly what they are doing, such as playing a wall.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:10 PM on September 11, 2016


Followed by breakdancing. My, my, the chink within the wall is between her legs....
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:10 PM on September 11, 2016


"Cranny!"
posted by roger ackroyd at 1:11 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


These costumes are delightful
posted by Uncle at 1:12 PM on September 11, 2016


I am a Shakespearean actor at The Globe Theater...wriggling around in my underwear.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:12 PM on September 11, 2016


"Why is everybody so obsessd by text?" lol
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 1:15 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh, sure, let's have an astronaut!
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:15 PM on September 11, 2016


I may steal Snug's Lion costume for Halloween.
posted by roger ackroyd at 1:19 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm...not really sure how I feel about this production.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:24 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh, sure, let's have all the dead characters have a dance!
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:25 PM on September 11, 2016


Well, that was fun. I'm glad I had the time off this morning/afternoon to get to watch this, especially unexpectedly.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:32 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


That was fantastic!
posted by Jode at 1:32 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


That was a bit more Bollywood than I usually take my Globe post-show jigs, but it worked.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:35 PM on September 11, 2016


Are the audience throwing the flowers back?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 1:35 PM on September 11, 2016


what a joyous curtain call! the whole thing was fantastic
posted by Vitamaster at 1:36 PM on September 11, 2016


Really dug the sitar accompaniment throughout.
posted by cobaltnine at 1:38 PM on September 11, 2016


Thank you so very much for bringing this to our attention.
posted by key_of_z at 1:39 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


(For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, the post-show jig is a tradition at the Globe after every show. It's authentic...ish to the Shakespearean period, and it's a great way for all the actors to come out and get applause for their work. A lot of the time time they look more like this, though.)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:39 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Thanks for posting this. It really took me out of my dour headspace and into a glorious production that lifted my spirits immeasurably. What a playful reimagining.
posted by equestrian at 1:40 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


Oh neat. Just drag the slider to the beginning and watch from the start!
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 1:40 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Darn it, I clicked out of the show and now I can't get it back to rerun it. Warning to everyone else...
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:46 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


That was really nice! I'm glad I got to see some of it; Puck and the mechanicals especially were a lot of fun. Thanks for posting this!
posted by elsilnora at 1:49 PM on September 11, 2016


If we missed it, are we out of luck?
posted by ottereroticist at 1:57 PM on September 11, 2016


"You can watch it here on this very page at any time over the next six months."

They'll fix a link back up relatively soon. It's a bit bespoke, maybe the first time they've done an online-only stream.
posted by sourcejedi at 2:00 PM on September 11, 2016 [3 favorites]


This was absolutely amazing. Thank you, storybored, for posting this!
posted by PlusDistance at 2:34 PM on September 11, 2016


Update on site:
Goodnight and thank you
Posted at
17:00
Thanks to everyone for watching our live stream of A Midsummer Night's Dream; it was great to see people posting on social media from around the world.

And if you missed it, or want to see it again then it'll be available on our website, wherever you are in the world, early next week; and also on BBC iPlayer for viewers in the UK.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 3:34 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


I did not like it as much as the Dominic Dromgoole version, which appealed to my baser nature in a lot of ways (not just that I thought most of the actors were hot as hell) but I did like this a lot. It was funny, the modernisation was spot-on and imaginative and the costumes were great.

Also the part where Lysander called Hermia an ugly bitch made me actually flinch.

I wonder if the director has read the Bordertown books? I definitely got that kind of vibe.
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 4:24 PM on September 11, 2016


I watched again too. I had the great good fortune to see it live this summer, at the Globe, as part of a three-week program centered on using Shakespeare in the classroom. Bar none, it was the *absolute best Shakespeare performance* I have ever seen. People upthread noted Puck -- she is indeed amazing. She never stopped, like, SHAKING with energy the entire show! And the physicality of the entire cast, which came through in the livestream, was shocking at points in person. The audience engagement, which you get a good sense of here, was uproarious & almost constant: even without direct address of an audience member, the whole cast knew how to project & connect & fire out lines. And WITH direct address? Bananas. Literally, in one case -- a colleague had the experience of kissing Puck with, through, & around that banana she kept in her belt. One of the best reinvigorations of this play -- one of the best proofs for Shakespeare's continued relevance, & for the power of theatre -- I'm usually all English & on-the-page, but this production blew off my eyebrows.
posted by foodbedgospel at 5:49 PM on September 11, 2016 [7 favorites]


MetaFilter I did not like it as much as that other version, which appealed to my baser nature
posted by hippybear at 7:10 PM on September 11, 2016


That was magnificent. So glad you posted it. I didn't expect the Bollywood aspect - which I loved. Lysander's song was incredibly moving - it was from John Donne, if anyone else was thrown by it. Still not sure what to make of the Major Tom segment, but otherwise I just loved everything about this.
posted by Mchelly at 7:28 PM on September 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


Thanks for that Mchelly, I was wondering about some of the music... the words Lysander was singing sounded like it was of the time...
posted by storybored at 8:13 PM on September 11, 2016


I didn't get to stream but am looking forward to watching the re-stream! If you EVER get a chance to go to the Globe, DEFINITELY DO, it is fantastic. Go as a Groundling if you're physically able. I'm short (5'2"), and it was still fantastic and I could see everything. You get SO INTO IT as a Groundling, Shakespeare is AMAZING as performed, especially up close!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:09 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Groundling, meaning, like the LA improv theater group?
posted by hippybear at 9:19 PM on September 11, 2016


Groundling as in paying only a few bucks to stand on the ground, as opposed to the actual seating, which is more expensive but further from the action on stage.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:26 PM on September 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Yeah, Groundlings are the folks who stand in the open pit area at The Globe. In Shakespeare's time they were the apprentices and whatnot, and it cost a penny. Today it costs 5 pounds, which is approximately equivalent to a penny with inflation. (My understanding is the 5 pounds is subsidized by donations, but I'm sure the Globe has that on their page somewhere.) It is a breaktakingly exciting way to watch Shakespeare. The seats are fine but you're removed from the action; watching as a Groundling is raucous and exciting and immediate.

I'm not a super-patient person who likes to stand around, and I have a tricky knee, but it does not seem like three hours, and even though I knew the play I kept gasping and laughing and smiling and so on. I was constantly surprised! I also saw one in the expensive nobleman seats and it was just WAY MORE DULL. Like your teachers tell you Shakespeare is meant to be seen performed, not read on the page, which is true -- it lives more as a play than as a book. But it's meant to be seen as a Groundling, not as a nobleman sitting in the theater seats. Being a Groundling was 100 times more absorbing than seeing it an American theaters in the normal fashion, or as a nobleman at the Globe. Like seriously the whole play I kept forgetting I was standing and, you know, not in 1600.

If you ever have the chance, definitely do it.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 11:19 PM on September 11, 2016 [3 favorites]


Re: projection: it's helped tremendously by the acoustics of the Globe. I got to do some voice and movement classes on stage there over the course of my MFA (I know...brag brag brag), and if you stand on that stage and project even a little bit, the entire theater can hear you easily, even in the upper galleries.

And yeah, seconding being a groundling as the only way to see a show. I saw The Tempest from one of the lord's boxes, and it was just...okay. For everything else, though, I stood right at the front of the stage, and it was amazing. (During Titus Andronicus, I got stage blood splattered in my face, and almost got kicked in the head by Indira Varma. Awesome.)
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 2:56 AM on September 12, 2016 [1 favorite]


MetaFilter: I got stage blood splattered in my face, and almost got kicked in the head
posted by hippybear at 7:31 AM on September 12, 2016 [1 favorite]


This is available to watch now, for those of us who didn't see it live. You want to click on the "watch now" link instead of the more obvious one.
posted by sfenders at 4:51 PM on September 13, 2016 [3 favorites]


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