Shakespeare's Globe allowed gimp-suited theatregoer to attend 'family-friendly' play

23 July 2023, 22:59 | Updated: 23 July 2023, 23:01

Shakespeare's Globe in London saw the disturbing attendee at a May 24 showing of A Comedy of Errors (file image inset)
Shakespeare's Globe in London saw the disturbing attendee at a May 24 showing of A Comedy of Errors (file image inset). Picture: Getty/Alamy

By Chay Quinn

A man in fetish gear was allowed to attend a play at the Globe Theatre in London - despite the protestations of parents at the 'family-friendly' event.

The theatre-goer attended the matinee showing of A Comedy of Errors in head-to-toe latex - complete with a gimp mask.

The South Bank theatre allowed the man to stay in the showing which had children and families in attendance - because the bodysuit did not have any "offensive slogans", according to an internal report quoted in The Telegraph.

Read More: Man accused of being the Somerset Gimp faces knife and public decency charges

The May 24 performance saw the man as a groundling - having purchased a standing ticket to be closer to the performers.

The man was dressed in a gimp suit (similar to the one seen here) for the showing (stock image)
The man was dressed in a gimp suit (similar to the one seen here) for the showing (stock image). Picture: Alamy

The Telegraph also spoke to concerned parents, who asked: “Why was he allowed to stay in a venue that caters for the general public including children?”

The citizen then added: “Even if a child doesn’t know what a latex suit is or the sexual connotations, it’s still a very scary sight and puts parents in a very uncomfortable position when it comes to explaining to their children what is going on.”

The concerned guardian concluded: “I found the whole thing extremely inappropriate and I wasn’t the only one – a lot of people were obviously uncomfortable with his presence.”

A spokesperson for the theatre told the newspaper: “We were aware of a couple of comments from staff at the time but are not aware of any formal complaints from staff.

"We received one email from an audience member after the event, whose feedback has been considered for the future."

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