Sir – Giles Woodforde claims the Globe touring company ‘richly deserved’ its ‘standing ovation’ for its reduction of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Weekend, July 29). True, you can strip out characterisation, poetry, subtlety and magic from this play and still have something to work with.
What we had here, though, was a bunch of caricatures gurning and hamming their way through an episode of Strictly Come Dreaming. Which brings us to the ‘standing ovation’ — a routine reflex on every chat show and at every football match in the land.
Moderate performers are greeted like returning war heroes, wherever you look: it’s no indicator of quality these days, I’m afraid.
Unless it’s special, stay in your seat please, Giles. That way, the girl in the hot pants might land in your lap next time — one of the highlights of this show, if your excitable review is to be believed.
Paul Logan, Filkins
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