Secret Cinema - Star Wars

Me as a Starfighter Alliance Corps pilot

This wasn't a 'theatre' experience as such, but it did involve live performances by actors, so I thought it merited a post. I won't go into detail about it so as not to give too much away.

I am not a Star Wars fan. Before going to this event my Star Wars exposure consisted of watching Episode 1 at the cinema and a bit of one of the other films (can't remember which) at home. I don't think we even finished watching the one at home because I got bored. I just don't like things set in space. When given the opportunity to go to this event I was reluctant because I didn't think it would be worth it for me. But I ended up enjoying it a lot. 

One of the first things you do after obtaining your ticket is to complete a short online questionnaire to determine your role in the Rebellion. I got 'Starfighter Alliance Corps', and my partner, who was the driving force behind my going, set about acquiring a suitable outfit for me. The chosen outfit was a second-hand homemade one and was pretty good. I thought the front control box looked a bit primitive until I actually saw the film, and realised that the 'real' ones looked similarly basic. The Starfighter outfit was the most distinctive of the possible costumes.

The Secret Cinema experience involves entering and immersing oneself in the world of the event's theme - in this case Star Wars - before watching the film in question (in this case The Empire Strikes Back). Here are some of my thoughts and recommendations:

• It was definitely worth dressing up. It made the experience a lot more immersive and I have never been given so much respect in my life as when I was dressed as a Starfighter Alliance Corps pilot. One of the actors at the event greeted me with 'It's good to see you again, pilot', while another told me I should congratulate myself.

• When you reach the planet destination I would recommend looking around properly, soaking up the atmosphere and interacting with or at least observing the characters there. It's easy to be seduced by the food stalls and spend too much time queuing and eating. If you're not a massive fan of the films, it's especially important to make the most of this part of the experience because it's probably the bit you'll enjoy the most. There's a lot going on. 

• I discovered that it's 'Han Solo', not Hans Solo.

• My criticism of the experience was that there wasn't any follow-up or continuity on the mission we were supposed to be accomplishing. There was a lot of build-up but it was never fully realised. I may not be a Star Wars fan, but I do like my experiences of this sort to be properly immersive and complete. 

• Spend some time in the bar after watching the film. There was a good atmosphere and music.

Next: Nell Gwynn

As You Like It - Globe Theatre

Set of As You Like It complete with earth
piles for burying recently deceased
Duke

I always forget how long this play is and how many elements it contains...When I think of it I always think of Orlando wooing Rosalind as 'Ganymede' in the forest, but that only starts in the second half of the play! The best time to see a production of As You Like It at the Globe is on a warm, sunny Spring day. Conditions were not optimal when I saw it (cold and cloudy), but I still manged to get into the spirit of it.

The costumes at the Globe are always of a high standard, but I was particularly impressed by those in this production. The women of the court all had late Elizabethan double-bump hairstyles and Rosalind and Celia's first outfits and wedding outfits were extremely elaborate and, in the latter case, dazzling.

Michelle Terry was a vibrant, exuberant, self-assured Rosalind. Because she naturally has a low voice her 'transition' into a man wasn't as dramatic or played for laughs to the extent that it is in most productions, which was refreshing. I enjoyed the development of Rosalind's relationship with Orlando (Simon Harrison). The fact that the actors playing Rosalind, Celia and Orlando were on the more mature side of the age spectrum for their characters (i.e. in their 30s rather than 20s) gave the characters a stronger, more confident quality. Orlando is usually portrayed as naive and slightly vulnerable; in this production he came across as quite worldly wise and dominant. I think he guessed that Ganymede was Rosalind early on.

I thought the production could have made more of the bucolic nature of the Forest of Arden. How? I don't know. I'm influenced by the first AYLI I saw at the Globe, which made me feel as though I truly was in a forest. Maybe it was just the weather. But no, I think it was also the music in the first production and their use of a fire. They may have had pretend trees, as well, but maybe that was just my imagination.

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, I wasn't keen on the inclusion of modern props for entertainment's sake. A modern map, an umbrella and one of those shopping bags on wheels made an appearance. Oh, and a bicycle. I don't have a problem with actors making modern cultural references during a comedy (e.g. riding on brooms pretending to play Quidditch in A Comedy of Errors) - it doesn't detract from the spirit or atmosphere of the play. I can imagine actors in Shakespeare's time making ad lib references to current events to amuse the audience. But using modern props in an otherwise authentically costumed and 'propped' play seems to defeat the purpose of the Globe. It's supposed to be as it would have been in Shakespeare's day! 

I really enjoyed the tap dance, though, performed by two of the men of the forest, so maybe I'm being inconsistent. The parts featuring Touchstone (Daniel Crossley) and Audrey (Sophia Nomvete) were some of my favourite scenes in the play (they were in the tap dance scene). In this production Touchstone genuinely seemed to care for Audrey, which was nice. He was an understated Touchstone, but funny nonetheless.

Next: Secret Cinema presents Star Wars