Imogen

I saw this play for £20 on a TimeOut deal in the week and was blown away by how successfully the adaptation took the characters and put them into a modern world, losing none of the original brilliance and hilarity. Shakespeare can be done a death in school and you can leave not realising how current his plots and characters are to a modern audience. There’s a reason the Bard has lasted the test of time – if you’ve ever made a boast you regret, felt fiercely loyal to a sibling or been worried about the long distance thing, there’s something in here for you.

The plot:

Cymbeline (King of Britain) has three children (Imogen and two brothers). The boys are kidnapped as toddlers. Cymbeline adopts another boy of a lower status, Postumus. Posthumus and Imogen start off as playmates but it develops into love when they grow older and they get married. Cymbeline finds a new, manipulative wife who wants to put her own (awful) son, Cloten, on the throne so convinces the King to banish Posthumus so Cloten can worm his way into the mix. Tears and angsty goodbyes for Posthumus and Imogen who swear everlasting loyalty and swap jewellery. Posthumus goes off to Rome where he boasts that British women are better than all others, Giacamo (a Roman) bets P he can steal Imogen because all women are flighty. Enter: lots of mistaken identities, poison, fight scenes.

This adaptation is set in Grimey underworld Britain. These characters wear Adidas tracksuits (seems to be the done thing to modernise at the moment), street dance, have fights suspended in the air and pop Class A drugs against a Grimey soundtrack of Skepta and cutting-edge production.

And I wouldn’t worry about not understanding the original text – the Globe exploded with every pun and word play. If you haven’t been able to understand an actor doing Shakespeare in the past, they’re not a very good actor. It’s all about the emphasis and in some cases, the cast use mime and props so no one is left behind.

Quotes to note:

Posthumus to Imogen when they are reunited:

“Hang there like fruit, my soul
Till the tree die”

One for the wedding vows?

Cloten’s soliloquy* about Imogen:

“I love and hate her: for she’s fair and royal…
but/ Disdaining me and throwing favours on
The low Posthumus slanders so her judgment
That… I will conclude to hate her”

Oh, that familiar unrequited struggle!

*soliloquy = character speaking outloud to him/herself. e.g. The famous ‘to be or not to be’ speech in Hamlet.

Impress a date/ your friends:

• This is number 38 of 42 plays attributed to Shakespeare, so towards the end of his writing career. Its original title is named after the King, ‘Cymbeline’ but I think you’ll agree this is Imogen’s play.
• The people who stand for performances at The Globe are known as ‘Groundlings’, tickets are £5. Back in Shakespeare’s day, this allowed the poorest to pay a penny and stand in the “pit” or the “yard” for his plays. Talk about all-access theatre.
• The artwork for this season’s Globe programme was created by Dan Hillier, an awesome artist whose stall I used to visit in Spitalfields market and now can be seen all over. You might have seen his album cover for Royal Blood’s ‘Falls’. I’ve spotted his work in Bird of Smithfield (great bar/ restaurant in Farringdon) and Soho House (ok ok name drop).
• On the cutting floor: this adaptation misses out a scene where Jupiter promises Posthumus’ ancestors that he will be looked after. Proof that the newly appointed Creative Director (Emma Rice – making waves!) is putting her money where her mouth is about making sure audiences won’t get bored or lost.
• Pisania, Imogen’s servant, is a male Pisanio in the original.

Date for the diary:

Book now and don’t miss out. The show runs until 16th October.

I like Imogen because it is an achingly funny play. It’s thought-provoking and, dare I say, feminist? The men are fun, furious and led by passion but it’s the female characters that have the brains. Imogen and Pisania are unflinching in loyality and courage and refuse to bow to passion and fury.

And who doesn’t like a sprinkling of street dance with their soliloquies?

I’d love to know what you think or if you have anything cultural on the cards!