Dominic Dromgoole on The Complete Walk
Welcome to the Globe’s latest adventure.
Shakespeare’s bright imagination created a whole new collection of worlds. Some that appear on stage, some on film, some in the mind’s eye of the reader as they trace the words in a book.
As far as we know, and we are only guessing, Shakespeare himself never left these shores. But through his own reading, and through hearing the stories of travellers, and through images gleaned from paintings, woodcuts and tapestries, he had a full enough fancy to create his own Elsinore, his own Alexandria, his own Bermuda and so much more. We thought we would complete the circle a little by filming his words in the actual places he was dreaming.
Alongside these specially filmed scenes, we have placed excerpts from some early silent films, from some of our filmed stage productions, and from some of the great oversees productions we have hosted. There is also some footage of Stratford-Upon-Avon - the sunlit colours and the intimate details of which helped to midwife his imagination – and some of the imagery which may have inspired him. Who knows how he dreamt up these stories? We offer no answers though hopefully some pleasurable provocations.
Please enjoy the walk at any pace you want to take it – we hope you relish some of the great acting captured here, and also the great-hearted gift of story and poetry and life offered up to all of us by the man who imagined so much of our world – Shakespeare.
Join us for The Complete Walk this weekend.