We’ve seen a lot of Shakespeare in our time, although this week was our first opportunity to catch The Comedy of Errors – one of the bard’s earlier plays, it’s not performed as frequently as some of his better-known shows. Having finally caught it, we can see why – it’s far from Shakespeare’s finest work. If you think you’ve already seen a stupid comedy or two, prepare for things to get a whole lot sillier – this is one of the daftest and most wildly improbable plays we’ve ever seen.
The Comedy of Errors contains all the usual Shakespeare comedy tropes, but this time there’s not just one case of mistaken identity – there are two. The play follows two sets of identical twins, separated by a shipwreck, and unexpectedly reunited when the father of one pair of twins is faced with execution. We witness the moments that their lives start to cross and all the shenanigans that ensue.
It’s a ridiculous and, at times, quite baffling show: a huge fight erupted right at the start of the play, and we’re still not entirely sure why that happened, or whether it brought anything to proceedings other than being yet another overblown moment. However, we should stress that it’s all actually quite good fun – it might be daft and at times it might not make much sense, but it’s perfectly enjoyable to watch.
The cast do well to bring out the comedy in the show – whether it’s the high-camp delivery of a soliloquy, or some inventive physicality, or a brilliantly-executed visual gig (there are some hilarious reveals), this is a show which elicits genuine laughs from its audience throughout. The musicians really add to the evening, too – and not just through music. There are some great sound effects deployed with expert timing, and just watching them react to the action on-stage is amusing in itself.
The Comedy of Errors may not be one of Shakespeare’s finest moments, and if you’ve not seen much of his work, there are plenty of better places to start. That being said, this is an enjoyable production which really brings out the comedy, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments – and, of course, The Globe is quite a charming theatre if you’ve not experienced it before. A perfectly pleasant way to spend a late summer’s evening.
GAY TIMES gives The Comedy of Errors – 3/5
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