Shakespeare – How “Authentic” Do You Want?

“For 10 years, London’s Globe, an obsessive facsimile overseen by Mark Rylance, has specialised in conjuring a theatrical time-warp. Its latest experimental project in the education of London’s theatre audience is a staging in OP (original pronunciation) of Troilus, starring David Sturzaker and Rylance’s daughter, Juliet, in the title roles. Some will complain that this is a pointless exercise in the pursuit of a will-o’-the-wisp – authenticity – that adds little to our understanding of Shakespeare. In practice, however, there’s no loss of clarity in the switch from RP (received pronunciation) to OP, though it is momentarily disorienting.”