Wot - No Understudy?

We recently attended a performance of Anthony and Cleopatra at the Globe for a mere £42 each (plus travel costs, plus food and drink, plus programme). Eve Best (who I admire as a good strong Shakespearean actress) was unfortunately indisposed - sort of thing that can't be helped. But I was amazed that there was no understudy. Instead the actress who should have played Charmian read the part of Cleopatra and another actress read the part of Charmian. This severely compromised the production - especially when players were close to corpsing at times. Come on Globe - surely you can mirror other theatres and manage to properly cover for inevitable absences? Actresses floating around the stage clutching a wad of paper is just not good enough. Pity the Sale of Goods Act does not cover theatrical productions because what was delivered here was decidedly not fit for purpose.