After what has already proven a bumper year for culture vultures in Dumfries and Galloway, the feast is set to continue with the arrival of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on 24 and 25 June in The Crichton Grounds, Dumfries.
Three performances of one of The Bard’s best loved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, are set for the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, starting at 7.30 with a matinee performance on the Wednesday starting at 2.30.
Those who have attended the Globe’s performances in previous years will know what to expect: top-notch theatre from a world-class company that is accessible and fun; those attending for the first time this year should come prepared with a picnic and a readiness for a great deal of laughter as two of Shakespeare’s most famous protagonists, Beatrice and Benedick, fall in love despite their best efforts to remain separate and single.
Of course, as with much Shakespeare, the play also has meditations on honour, shame and politics but unlike King Lear and Hamlet, which were performed at The Crichton by the Globe in the previous two years, there are no dead bodies at the end, only multiple marriages and much laughter.
“We were excited when we heard that 2014 was going to be Much Ado,” says Chrys Salt, Artistic Director of The Backhouse, the arts organisation responsible for bringing the Globe to Dumfries, “It is such a classic and some great actors have scored incredible successes with its delightful comedy, including Kenneth Branagh and, recently, David Tennant and Catherine Tate.”
The audience can be assured that director Max Webster and composer John Barber will offer a classic Globe performance with musical interludes and the odd foray into the public arena while the actors will offer all the energy and the occasional ad-lib that goes to make up an unforgettable piece of theatre.
Tickets are £17.00 (£10.50 U19s) for the evening performances and £13.50 (£10.50 U19s) and can be purchased from shakespearesglobe.com or telephone the Globe box office on 020 7401 9919 or visit Midsteeple Dumfries, telephone 01387 253383.
