If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (msmelaniemarie), you will already know that I spent all of Saturday the 24th in Barnet watching all three Henry VI plays put on by the Globe's touring company. You will also know that it rained. All.. day.. long. Thank goodness for ponchos because I had my Hunter wellies on (lifesavers and possibly one of the best investments I've ever made) and a nice rain jacket I borrowed, but in the rain watching three full length plays from about noon to near 11pm, even they wouldn't have sufficed by themselves. I was fortunate enough to snag a poncho (one of those clear ridiculous things that my toddler cousin apparently said made me look like an astronaut) and it saved me because I could just cross my legs under it like a nice little person tent and all the rain just sloughed right off. Brilliant. I still won't ever be seen wearing a poncho like that around in public if it rains because please, I'm from Seattle and also it looks really ridiculous. But I will use it for any other future outdoor shows in the rain. Or festivals. Brilliant for festivals.
I digress a bit. The focus obviously is the Henry VI plays - parts 1, 2, and 3. They were bloody brilliant. And I do mean bloody. There was quite a bit of stage gore - beheadings, stabbings, etc. But brilliant as well because not only did the company do a fabulous job of performing through wind, rain, and a power outage after dark, but they did it with such enthusiasm and talent. The performances were all live-streamed online as well. I don't know if a copy exists, but hey, go take a look around because all I can say is that the shows had to have been excellent for nearly 200 people of all ages (teens to grannies, no joke) to stay through the entire thing from start to finish. In the rain. On a Saturday. When they could have been watching live-stream from indoors. If you ask me, the standard has been set.
