Beau Holland is shaking the sand out of her suitcase when we speak, having just returned from Guernsey with The Globe On Tour.
Appearing in all three offerings: Twelfth Night, Pericles and The Comedy Of Errors, and with a tour schedule which includes North Carolina and Norway, as well as Oxford, and then Asia, it’s all go for the Galway lass.
it gets a bit crazy back stage. It’s a bit like a car wash. There are 65 costume changes in Pericles alone
And she can’t get enough of it: “It’s been such an amazing experience so far. Working with the Globe really is a dream come true because it is a world renowned company,” she says, “and the audiences are really enjoying themselves even though you never know how you will be received.”
In the meantime, Beau has the massive task of performing any one of three Shakespearean plays every night, from today at The Bodleian quad. (Beau will play Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night, Dionyza/Need in Pericles and Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors)
An unusual selection though? “All three plays are based on displacement and feeling lost, which are such universal themes and very relevant at the moment, whatever country you live in. Everyone recognises the feelings that the plays evoke, so they are great stories to tell.”
Still, With eight in the cast, that’s a lot of characters to cover? “Yes, it does get quit bit crazy back stage with all the costume changes, exits and entrances. It’s a bit like a car wash,” she laughs. “There are 65 costume changes in Pericles alone and one of my colleagues has to play two people in one scene.
“But we have it down to a fine art now. It’s a well oiled machine. Each play is ingrained into my body.
“But then I knew this would a be a special project right from the start , and I love the touring, moving from place to place and soaking up the food and culture. We are like one big family.”
And what of the competition? Does Beau worry about Shakespeare reaching saturation point in Oxford this at the moment? “ No, the more the merrier.”
“The weather is more of a worry because I have to wear a woolly hat in one scene, but I’ve got an ice pack, so it’ll be fine.”
And for anyone who’s forgotten which plays The Globe will be performing at The Bodleian until Tuesday, here is our run-down:
Take one pair of estranged twin brothers (both named Antipholus) and one pair of estranged twin servants (both named Dromio), both pairs separated at sea. Add a dash of mistaken identity and throw them into a city with a reputation for sorcery, and you have all the ingredients for theatrical chaos…
The spirit of fairy tale is never far from the surface of Pericles, the first of Shakespeare’s late romances. Imbued with music, miracles, and the constant presence of the sea, this little-seen work sees Pericles, Prince of Tyre, forced to flee his own kingdom and wander the world.
When a shipwreck tears a family apart, twins Sebastian and Viola seek refuge in a new land. Filled with unforgettable characters, Twelfth Night combines cruelty with high comedy and the pangs of unrequited love with subtle poetry, expressed through some of Shakespeare’s most exquisite songs.
Tickets for The Globe on Tour at The Bodleian, which runs until Tuesday, and is part of the Playhouse Plays Out Series, at Oxford Playhouse.com or 01865 305305
