John Fletcher’s ‘Love’s Pilgrimage’ is the most recent Read not Dead production at Shakespeare’s Globe. The plot is based around a quartet of young people and their adventures in love, encompassing everything from cross-dressing, street fighting and a final comedic showdown between two of their fathers. What sets the Read not Dead series apart from ordinary trips to the theatre is that the actors are given the script of a lesser-known early modern play on the day of the performance and proceed to act it script in hand in the afternoon. Hence, the resulting performance is something that neither the audience nor the actors themselves can fully anticipate. So I sat down in the playhouse with high hopes and excitement for what I knew would be an exhilarating performance – it did not disappoint.

The concept itself undoubtedly works. By coupling a barely rehearsed production with minimal staging and a dose of the unknown, the director Philip Bird adds freshness to the typical theatre going experience which would normally see the actors rattling off their memorised lines surrounded by a vibrant set. In fact the surroundings of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse make a kind of ‘set’ themselves, with the period fittings and stage being so close to the audience. As long as you suspend your belief a little, what you get is an interactive, thrilling piece of entertainment where you are not quite sure what comes next. The fourth wall is repeatedly broken, a standard hoodie becomes an innkeeper’s cloak, and the audience itself becomes part of Spanish street brawl. Not exactly your average trip to the theatre.

Overall, the cast handled both the text and the added element of holding the script whilst acting with aplomb. Although some members of the cast struggled with the structure slightly. For example Adeline Waby (who played Theodosia), often tripped up on her lines which at times proved a little trying. However, all of the cast exuded energy and garnered their fair share of laughs from the audience. The performances that stood out for me were confident, assured Shaun Prendergast as Incubo, Mathew Foster as a mildly sardonic yet sympathetic Philippo, and Freddie Hutchins who displayed a brilliant exhibition of slapstick comedy for his character Mark-Antonio. All three seemed to be especially at ease with the material and set up, whilst maintaining a continuous stream of knowing glances and interaction with the amused theatre goers

What makes the Read not Dead series special is that it allows for a lesser-known work to take centre stage whilst also providing a performance that is unexpected, interactive and downright funny. I will most definitely be booking a ticket for the next one.

Images from the Shakespeare's Globe website.