All the World's a Stage (or, the whirligig of time*)

We’d booked to see As You Like It at the Globe. I didn’t get there last year, so was determined to this year.

Before the performance, we’d come to the conclusion that they have a rather brilliant gift shop, and, according to Cat, very good chocolate brownies. I’d bought a rain cape, as the sky looked threatening, and then had a bit of a rant about the quotation on it**.

It was as we went in that I saw him on the piazza. I was almost sure, but not certain. I mean, it’s been years since I’ve seen him in the flesh, and he’s not exactly looking like himself in his currently most familiar role. When we went into the yard, I scanned around to see if I could see him. Cat must have wondered what I was on as I went on about how the wood had mellowed over the years, but I soon spotted him on the back row of one of the bays directly behind us. By this time I was pretty sure, for that profile is unmistakable, but I still sought Cat’s confirmation at the interval. Our first response was to Tweet this news!

I was only in the same theatre as Alan Rickman! Not only that, we were watching ‘As You’, which was the first play I ever saw him in. I’d been talking about that production earlier, as there was a photo from it in the programme. The Jaques on stage wasn’t a patch on his performance, the consensus being that this one was a bit sleazy.

At the end of the play we were out first, being groundlings, and were meeting Corinne. I rang her, knowing that she’d never forgive me if she missed him:

‘Where are you?’
‘By the river, near the gate’
‘You need to come towards the gate’
‘There’ll be a lot of people’
‘You need to come to the gate!’

By this time I was almost following him down the steps. Through the gate I spotted her, and dashed over, pointing him out as he headed in the other direction. There was a moment, a look, and an ‘oh my God!’

Later, I reflected in the weird theatrical circle which had brought us from that performance in Stratford all those years ago, to August 2009 at the Globe. For Alan was the start of my stage dooring. I’m not even sure I’d have done it without him (though I guess I’d have found another actor somewhere). I didn’t realise then what I was letting myself in for. I don’t think I’d change a bit of it though!

*Yes, wrong play, I know!
**According the Globe, ‘it falleth as the gentle rain from heaven’, according to all my texts, ‘it droppeth’. The Globe needs to find a quarto or an alternative text, or there may have to be words.