Sonnet Sunday at The Globe

The Globe Theatre in London – built on the site of Shakespeare’s theatre – held a Sonnet Sunday this week, and I was lucky enough to attend, and I can’t tell you how enjoyable and magical it was.

The format was that you spent up to four hours in and around the theatre and its environs. The first two hours were for strolling, and encountering people who would recite a sonnet (or more than one) to you – some were dressed in Shakespearean costume, some were in their ordinary clothes, some were dressed as Globe staff. There were people who sang and played music. There were events going on all over the building, there were sonnets written up on the walls, on the mirrors in the bathrooms, all over the place. 

When you’d heard the sonnet, the declaimer would give you a ribbon with the first line on it, which you could tie to your ticket-lanyard or wrist.




Of course I am going to feature a sonnet here, and it is going to be Sonnet 98, for two reasons. One is that it gave Agatha Christie the title of one of her Mary Westmacott (ie non-crime) books, Absent in the Spring, on the blog here (where naturally I am concentrating on snoods, rather than the beauty of Shakespearean poetry).

The second reason is because a marvellous actor named Oli Chris did this sonnet specially for me ie others were around but I was the person he focussed on and spoke the whole thing to: it was completely amazing, very powerful. Naturally 5 mins later he was focussing his charisma on someone else, but I enjoyed my moment.

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue,
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:
Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight
Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those.
    Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,
    As with your shadow I with these did play.




Later we took our seats in the Shakespearan-style auditorium, and actors, singers, and groups of actors and singers – many from the local community – performed more of the sonnets, in varied and exotic ways. I’m running out of ways to say how exceptional it was…

We were very lucky in that the sun shone – a lot of the Globe is out of doors - it was the perfect afternoon. Perfect weather, perfect performances, perfect people. I sincerely hope they will do it next year too.