Spot on. Humour makes you comfortable, and horror lies in taking you from comfort to discomfort - it's so much more compelling when a film/play/book can take you on that whole journey, rather than trying to start at the end.
The Globe is a miracle of a space. I've seen dozens of performances there, never boring. I was lucky enough to see the first production in preview; Mark Rylance as Henry V rallying us groundings to fight as a band of brothers. Unforgettable.
What an interesting (and more lively!) production of The Crucible. It's fascinating how a reinterpretation of the text and the stage itself can really affect a play. Coincidentally, I was just talking with a friend earlier today about gallows humor. If used with thoughtful care, I think it can humanize and deepen a story.
This production sounds very interesting. The only time I have seen The Crucible was over 30 years ago, at The Royal Exchange in Manchester, in the round. One of the most intense pieces of theatre I can recall, again with the staging playing a large part, in this case creating a 'crucible-like' atmosphere, with the actors encircled and entrapped by the audience. Very different. I shall ask my actor nephew if he has seen this version when we meet up next month.
That sounds really cool and similar to the circular Globe which is almost in the round but not quite. I love the idea of the space itself becoming a crucible!
My immediate reaction to seeing the title was, of course it's funny, if you happen to go see it at your local community theatre, because, well, it's local community theatre 🫣
Thank you for your analysis of stagecraft and performance at Shakespeare's Globe. It has a special place in my heart, and the few times I've been there have never been dull. There was that time when I found out two middle school kids attending a performance of the Scottish play as part of a school trip pointing their phones toward the stage to play Pokemon Go during the interval. And there's always the jig to look forward to. If only I had world enough, airfare, and time!
Was that the Lucy Bailey production by any chance? When Banquo's ghost climbed up out of the meat on the banquet table, all covered in blood? It's the best space for Shakespeare, no competition.
This would have been in the summer of 2016. My wife and I were spending a week at Shakespeare's Globe participating in the Shakespeare Works When Shakespeare Plays workshops.
That’s a great example, I’ve seen him played as a looming psychopomp who is a sinister presence throughout the play - but I’ve also seen him weeing in a bucket and tipping it over the groundlings!
It's interesting when a play we don't think of as a comedy is played in humorous register -- not the first time it's been tried with Shakespeare, either; the RSC did one of the History plays that way a few years ago. And it can work in reverse too. Consider Succession -- if you were to read the scripts and had never seen the TV series, you might assume it was a sitcom, albeit quite a dark one, but when all those potentially funny lines are delivered it's with a tone that keeps the tragedy and angst in full view.
That's an interesting point, Dave, and it makes me think of that scene in King Lear where Gloucester tries to kill himself. People often laugh because on the face of it it's comical that he thinks he's jumped off the white cliffs when he's really just jumped about a foot, but I always find it heart-breaking - especially since his poor son watches him do it and is realising how deeply his father has fallen to despair.
Rebekah, this was an excellent analysis of the crucible. Although I was forced to read it for AP English, looking back on it (and after rereading it) I realized that yes, it is indeed hilarious.
Spot on. Humour makes you comfortable, and horror lies in taking you from comfort to discomfort - it's so much more compelling when a film/play/book can take you on that whole journey, rather than trying to start at the end.
Exactly! Catharsis, just like the Ancient Greeks used in their tragedies!
The Globe is a miracle of a space. I've seen dozens of performances there, never boring. I was lucky enough to see the first production in preview; Mark Rylance as Henry V rallying us groundings to fight as a band of brothers. Unforgettable.
I wish I’d seen that!
What an interesting (and more lively!) production of The Crucible. It's fascinating how a reinterpretation of the text and the stage itself can really affect a play. Coincidentally, I was just talking with a friend earlier today about gallows humor. If used with thoughtful care, I think it can humanize and deepen a story.
I completely agree, it’s such an important tool for drawing an audience in!
This production sounds very interesting. The only time I have seen The Crucible was over 30 years ago, at The Royal Exchange in Manchester, in the round. One of the most intense pieces of theatre I can recall, again with the staging playing a large part, in this case creating a 'crucible-like' atmosphere, with the actors encircled and entrapped by the audience. Very different. I shall ask my actor nephew if he has seen this version when we meet up next month.
That sounds really cool and similar to the circular Globe which is almost in the round but not quite. I love the idea of the space itself becoming a crucible!
I remember that was a required reading when I was in HS. All I know was that I thought it was a bloody bore and I’ve never picked up the book again.
It might be worth watching a production one day to see if you like it better when it's brought to life?
Yeah… I tried that too… It was just boring with live people in it…Poor tortured souls…Doomed to a cycle of reenactment for at least 6 weeks:-)))
My immediate reaction to seeing the title was, of course it's funny, if you happen to go see it at your local community theatre, because, well, it's local community theatre 🫣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZhDYo1mevg&list=RDkZhDYo1mevg&start_radio=1
Loved this! I’ve never seen The Crucible nor been to The Globe and you’ve made both now feel like a necessity!
Thanks Lou! If you can get to The Globe for literally any play I recommend it, it's such a great space.
Thank you for your analysis of stagecraft and performance at Shakespeare's Globe. It has a special place in my heart, and the few times I've been there have never been dull. There was that time when I found out two middle school kids attending a performance of the Scottish play as part of a school trip pointing their phones toward the stage to play Pokemon Go during the interval. And there's always the jig to look forward to. If only I had world enough, airfare, and time!
Was that the Lucy Bailey production by any chance? When Banquo's ghost climbed up out of the meat on the banquet table, all covered in blood? It's the best space for Shakespeare, no competition.
This would have been in the summer of 2016. My wife and I were spending a week at Shakespeare's Globe participating in the Shakespeare Works When Shakespeare Plays workshops.
And, apropos Macbeth, is there any better use of humor to heighten the tragic impact of a play than the Porter's scene?
That’s a great example, I’ve seen him played as a looming psychopomp who is a sinister presence throughout the play - but I’ve also seen him weeing in a bucket and tipping it over the groundlings!
It's interesting when a play we don't think of as a comedy is played in humorous register -- not the first time it's been tried with Shakespeare, either; the RSC did one of the History plays that way a few years ago. And it can work in reverse too. Consider Succession -- if you were to read the scripts and had never seen the TV series, you might assume it was a sitcom, albeit quite a dark one, but when all those potentially funny lines are delivered it's with a tone that keeps the tragedy and angst in full view.
That's an interesting point, Dave, and it makes me think of that scene in King Lear where Gloucester tries to kill himself. People often laugh because on the face of it it's comical that he thinks he's jumped off the white cliffs when he's really just jumped about a foot, but I always find it heart-breaking - especially since his poor son watches him do it and is realising how deeply his father has fallen to despair.
Very insightful. Lure them with the humor before the horror.
Yes exactly! ‘Lure them in’ = the motto of the storyteller
Rebekah, this was an excellent analysis of the crucible. Although I was forced to read it for AP English, looking back on it (and after rereading it) I realized that yes, it is indeed hilarious.
Thanks so much, poonam! It’s strange how things change when you’re no longer forced to read them for school.