Around the Globe in Eighty Days

One of those treasures is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The theatre was founded by the American actor Sam Wanamaker in 1997. Wanamaker fled the US fearing he would be blacklisted for his Communist sympathies but upon arriving in the United Kingdom, recreating Shakespeare’s beloved theatre, the theatre where he wrote many of his greatest works, became his obsession. This dream would take over twenty years to complete, with Wanamaker tragically dying just four years before the Globe’s first opening night.

This recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has now become not only a popular tourist destination but one of the most respected theatres in the country, producing ground-breaking new work as well as innovative productions of many of Shakespeare’s classic plays.

One of the theatre’s biggest hits has been the astonishing Emelia, an intriguing look at a possible candidate for Shakespeare’s Dark Lady. It’s all female cast with three black female leads, playing Emelia at various stages in her life, had women cheering in the aisles.

The Globe though is now on the brink of collapse, due to the economic impact of the lockdown. It would be easy in this situation to feel despair but British actress, Claire Monique Martin has chosen instead to act and has launched 'Around the World in Eighty Plays', an online festival via Facebook live. The festival is not only a chance to showcase the work of many acclaimed international playwrights, but also an important opportunity to raise much needed funds for this theatrical jewel.

Many of the plays on show for the festival were produced via Zoom whilst the restrictions of social distancing were still in place. Judging from the offerings on the first night, they are a delightful and eclectic mix, which include 'Ash' by one of the country’s premier British Asian playwrights Bettina Gracias. 'Ash' is part of a series of monologues which look at the lives of women during these troubled times and 'Ash' in particular is both insightful and funny with a poignant conclusion.

Another gem of this festival is '(In)Visible' by Kathryn Mincer, '(In)Visible' is a harrowing look at modern day slavery taken from hundreds of interviews with those either trapped in the sex industry or domestic servitude. The play highlights not only the physical abuse these people often face but also the impossibility of escape since they are invisible in our society.

Two other treats are Beverly Andrews’ Love Bites, an unusual look at love and 'Baghdad Othello', an intriguing reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s original, with the racial roles reversed and set in post invasion Iraq. The play looks not only at the mistakes made by the occupying American forces, mistakes which have probably contributed to the creation of Isis, but also - according to the author - at seismic racism endemic in the US military today. A timely piece in the wake of the ongoing global Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. 'Baghdad Othello' concludes this fascinating festival. One which proves that we do not have to be passive in the wake of our current situation, that we can be inspired by Claire’s initiative and instead of choosing despair we can choose to take action instead.