Shakespeare’s Globe, more affectionately known as the ‘Wooden O’, lies on the South Bank of the River Thames, welcoming over 1.25 million visitors a year. June 2021 marks its 24th birthday, making the theatrical icosagon younger than most might think.
The Globe Theatre, as it is seen today, is in fact the third incarnation of the building, and is an academic estimation of what the original version might have looked like. Despite this, it is considered to be a very realistic model. Modern safety standards, however, restrict audience capacity to 1,570, rather than the 3000 of Shakespeare’s day. It lies 750 feet from the original site, the foundations of which can be seen on what is now Park Street, Southwark.
“During a performance of Henry V, a prop cannon was mis-fired, causing the entire structure to burn down within two hours.”
The Globe first opened in 1599 and was constructed by Lord Chamberlain’s Men; the theatre company that Shakespeare wrote for and partially owned. Historians theorise Julius Caesar to be the first of Shakespeare’s plays written for The Globe (in the spring of 1599). In June 1613, during a performance of Henry V, a prop cannon was mis-fired, causing the entire structure to burn down within two hours. Somewhat miraculously, no one was killed. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men rebuilt the theatre in a year, however, like all performance venues, the second Globe was closed down by the Puritan government in their parliamentary decree of 1642. The theatre was then demolished in 1644/5 to make room for tenements.
“It seems the world can’t help but be drawn in by a step back in time to the theatre.”
The modern Globe officially opened in 1997 after many years of campaigning by the Shakespeare’s Globe Trust, which was founded by actor and director Sam Wanamaker. Searching for the original site in 1949, Wanamaker was shocked to find that it was only commemorated by a small plaque, the information on which was partially incorrect. He then set up the Shakespeare’s Globe Trust in 1971 and pursued his ambition to construct a replica building for two decades. The building was completed in 1995, sadly two years after Wanamaker’s death. As part of the reconstruction, a smaller, candle-lit Jacobean-style theatre was built adjacent to the Globe to host play readings and talks, and is called the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in commemoration. The modern replica has used construction materials faithful to the original building, mainly comprising of oak beams, lime-plaster walls, and a water-reed thatched roof. It is in fact the only thatched roof in London, as a ban has been in place since the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Today, at 24 years old, Shakespeare’s Globe remains one of the most revered theatrical spaces in the world. Its iconic thrust stage still plays host to three tiers of raked seating, as well as 700 standing, every day from May to October. The majority of performances still adhere to the constraints of theatre in Shakespeare’s day, rarely using any extravagant lighting or amplification. As well as for performance purposes, the Globe is an educational hub, regularly running tours and workshops, as well as working with schools across the country. The theatre’s productions are often livestreamed in cinemas, with 2015 seeing the development of Globe Player, which now means past productions are accessible on demand from the Globe’s website. London’s Globe is not the only replica to exist however, with smaller models also being located in Germany, Italy, and the USA. It seems the world can’t help but be drawn in by a step back in time to the theatre.
“Is there no play to ease the anguish of a torturing hour?”
Oberon, Act Five Scene One, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Following its closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shakespeare’s Globe reopened in May 2021 after 429 days. The theatre is staging a season of four Shakespearean plays over the summer and autumn of 2021. The line-up features brand new productions of As You Like It, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet, as well as a revival of their 2019 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Is there no play to ease the anguish of a torturing hour?” asks Oberon in the fifth act of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, echoing what theatre goers have been craving over the past year. Well, the answer is finally yes, and what better theatre to be leading the way than one that commemorates one of the world’s greatest playwrights.
Nicola Townsend
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Image courtesy of Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.