Somehow, after 6 months in London, I had only seen one Shakespeare production, Antony & Cleopatra, with a somewhat disappointing Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard - yes; vigorous and virile Antony - no). Yesterday I finally got a chance to make it over to the Globe for Love's Labour's Lost. This is not my favorite play, but I'm convinced the 5 pound tickets for Groundlings are one of the best deals in London.

The Globe does their best to perform the plays as they would have in Shakespeare's time, with Renaissance costumes, music and staging (the women's roles are no longer played by boys however). And they're definitely not shy about the bawdiness of the plays either! I'll just say if you're heading to Love's Labour's Lost, expect a few large codpieces and some nudity from a character you might not expect...

Each production at the Globe has some sort of special treat. For LLL, it was being serenaded by a troupe of musicians with Renaissance instruments before the start of the play. During intermission we got some more music, and a few of us standing next to the stage were also given apples or bites of cheese from the princess' entourage picnicking on the stage.

Seats start at 15 pounds, but the best views are definitely with a standing ticket, which are all 5 pounds. Arrive early and line up in front of door four to score yourself the best spot in front of the stage. And be ready to be part of the action; actors jumped into the audience on a regular basis. You can bring water and food into the theatre, and it's probably a good idea so you don't lose your prime spot during intermission.

A lot more on the Globe next week, after I see their production of Othello!

Shakespeare in London this summer & fall.

The Globe
Othello, The Merchant of Venice and Love's Labour's Lost run in repertoire until October 7th (Othello ends August 19th).

Camden People's Theatre
I've seen some very interesting and experimental work at the Camden People's Theatre. If you're going to be in London in August, you might want to check out Instant Classics' production of Timon of Athens.

Open Air Theatre
MacBeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream in Regents Park, but only until August 18th.

Royal Shakespeare Company
King Lear starring Ian McKellen and directed by Trevor Nunn runs from November 14th to January 12th. If you're under 25 you can get tickets (often good ones) for 5 pounds.

For updated theatre listings you can check out The Society of London Theatre.