THE Pop-up Globe has arrived in Perth.
A team of 20 people will take four weeks and 16,000 individual scaffolding components to build the full-scale temporary working replica of Shakespeare’s theatre, the second Globe.
Founder and artistic director Dr Miles Gregory said Shakespeare’s second Globe (the first burnt down in London in 1613) changed the world when it was rebuilt in 1614.
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READ NOWThe theatre was famous for its splendour and scale for 30 years before it closed at the outbreak of the English Civil War and was demolished to make way for apartments.
“We’ve built the theatre five times, which means we’ve built more Globes than Shakespeare,” Dr Gregory said.
“Over 550,000 people have now had the extraordinary experience of seeing Shakespeare’s plays performed in the style they were written, in the space they were written for.”
The project was originally conceived in Auckland as a fun way to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, but was so successful Dr Gregory and his team decided to see how far it could go.
“Perth is the furthest it’s been and bringing it here has been a huge logistical challenge for us,” Dr Gregory said.
“Perth is a city that deserves the best arts and culture on offer but it can be difficult because of its geographic location, so we were overjoyed when we heard it was going to be possible.
“I think life is too short not to take on the greatest challenges that you can.
“The Globe is supposed to be a kind of replica of the world and our theatre has everything from the rich seats to the poor seats and on stage, the full canopy of human experience.”
Pop-up Globe is at Crown Perth from October 5 featuring productions of Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“The four plays we’ve chosen for this season represent a broad spectrum of Shakespeare’s work,” Dr Gregory said.
“There is the remarkable fantasy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream where the fairies are based on ancient Maori patupaiarehe, which are the fairies of the forest.
“We also have Measure for Measure, which is a comedy with a dark heart, Hamlet is the greatest play ever written and Twelfth Night is a joyful comedy.
“They are true to the text and are all about two-and-a-quarter hours, so if you thought Shakespeare was four hours long and dull, you’re not going to get that here.”
