The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare at the Greenwich Playhouse Theatre

It’s been a while since hubby and I have ventured into theatreland, so I was attracted to the recent offer quoted on www.lastminute.com alluding to the production of “ The Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare. 

Photo Credit: http://www.galleontheatre.co.uk/

The offer was £9 per ticket and was showing locally, at the Greenwich Playhouse theatre, one of the smaller theatres in London. Although having studied Shakespeare at school (Hamlet and Macbeth), I have only seen one Shakespeare play, which was Measure for Measure, and this was in a hot and stuffy theatre in Edinburgh during the festival. At the time, both my boyfriend and I were students and I thought it would be a good idea to introduce him to British culture (he was French), mmmm a decision I soon learned to regret! Much frowning, vacant expressions and pants of exasperation soon ensued and my boyfriend did not show much enthusiasm either!

After some deliberation, I took the plunge and booked 2 tickets for the Saturday night performance. I should inform you that the aforementioned boyfriend is now my hubby and we have been living in London for 11 years, so he is now more accustomed to the British lifestyle!
The Greenwich Playhouse is accessed via Belushi’s bar (http://www.belushis.com) which is located on the left hand side of the main exit of Greenwich train station.

Seating plan inside Greenwich Playhouse
Photo Credit: http://www.galleontheatre.co.uk/

The theatre is snugly situated above the main bar and would comfortably accommodate an audience of approximately 60 people.

Not to give too much away, The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays, believed to have been written between 1592 and 1594. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity. It has been adapted for opera, stage, screen and musical theatre.

The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. 
Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and accusations of infidelity, theft,  madness, and demonic possession.

There are approximately 16 characters in the play, with some actors taking on duplicate roles. The acting is superb and the performances are enhanced by the intimacy of the theatre. Quite often we were inches away from the actors and actresses. We were particularly amused by the master and servant relationship portrayed by Antipholus and Dromio (both sets of twins!).
The running time is 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 15 minute break after 1 hour. Drinks are permitted in the theatre and the audience is encouraged to top up at the bar during the interval.

This production runs until 20 February and is a great alternative to the cinema. Even without the discount, full price tickets are £12 which is still excellent value for money!

If you fancy introducing some Shakespeare and comedy into your life, book online at:

http://www.galleontheatre.co.uk/whats_on_now.html

  

You won’t be disappointed!

Tell them MeLikeyUK sent you!

Enjoy x