Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare’s Globe is a replica of the original theatre of Shakespeare, dating back to 1600. The present Globe was founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker. Sadly he was never able to see the finished globe as he died during its construction. As in the original Globe, the wooden, circular structure is open in the middle, leaving the majority of the audience exposed to the elements. Three tiers of steeply raked wooden bench seating allow audiences to experience performances as you would have done in Shakespeare’s day.

Sam Wanamaker

On June 29, 1613, the original Globe Theatre went up in flames during a performance of Henry the Eighth. A theatrical cannon, set off during the performance, misfired, igniting the wooden beams and thatching. According to one of the few surviving documents of the event, no one was hurt except a man who put out his burning breeches with a bottle of ale.

William Shakespeare

At the base of the stage, there was an area called the pit, where, for a penny, people would stand and watch the performance. The new Globe theatre has recreated the pit and allows 500 people to stand and watch, which is about half the number of people in the pit in Shakespeare’s day.