Situated on London’s Bankside, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is the reconstruction of the open-air playhouse where the playwright penned his greatest work.
Many people ask: What was the name of Shakespeare's Theatre?
Well, it's The Globe Theatre of course!
Take a look at our 10 dramatic Shakespeare's Globe Theatre facts, including the remarkable story of the first Globe Theatre and how it burnt down, the re-building of the new Globe Theatre and how they've tried to protect it from burning down like the last one.
Shakespere's Globe
1. The current theatre was built 400 years after the original, just yards away
Completed in 1997, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is the third Globe Theatre to have been built on the Southbank of the Thames. The original Globes were located just a street further back from the river. The original theatre was built in 1599, and was destroyed by fire in 1613 (read on for how it caught fire in the first place!). It was rebuilt a year later and remaind open until 1642 when the Puritans ordered all theatres to close. It was then sadly demolished in 1644.
2. It was rebuilt to be as similar to the original Globe as possible
The Third Globe—what is known as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre—was designed to be as close to the originals as they could get. A great deal of research went into the shape and layout of the first and second theatres, as well as the type of wood and building techniques used. It is made of the same wood—green oak—the original builders would have used, and the timbers are fixed together using wooden pegs.
Of course, modern health and safety measures had to be incorporated into the design, including the lining of the thatched roof with fire-retardant material – definitely a smart move.
Shakspere's Globe, interior
3. Building the original Globe was a drama in itself
The original Globe was built by Shakespeare's theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later known as the King’s Men). It was erected using timbers recycled from The Theatre in Shoreditch, one of the first playhouses to put on Shakespeare’s work. Their old landlord, Giles Allen, wouldn’t say ‘recycled’. He’d prefer the word ‘stolen’.
According to legend, Giles refused to renew their lease on the land where The Theatre stood. So the company—including Shakespeare—armed with daggers and cudgels, snuck onto Allen’s land while he was away for Christmas, dismantled the playhouse, and stored the timbers in a yard north of the Thames.
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4. Shakespeare was part-owner of the theatre
James Burbage, father of the company’s leading actor, Richard Burbage, built The Theatre at Shoreditch. However, after his death, his sons couldn’t afford a lease for a new playhouse, so they asked for investment from some members of the company. William Shakespeare became a 12.5% shareholder in the Globe Theatre, paying £10 for his share (possibly equivalent to around £1500-2000 today). Now they just needed someone to write some hugely popular plays so they could get bums on the seats and returns on their investment...
Exterior of the globe
5. It’s always been a midsummer destination
Because of its open-air design, The Globe has always been a fair-weather destination for watching a performance. Back in Shakespeare’s time, the company would move indoors to perform during winter. The same is true today, with winter performances taking place in the adjoining Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. But tours of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, which offer a wealth of insights into the theatre as it was in The Bard’s time and as it operates today, are available year-round. They are available to see with a London Pass® and you can also check out other fascinating things to do in London in our write-up.
6. Shakespeare referenced the Globe in his work
Henry V mentions “this wooden O,” in the play of the same name. Prospero speaks of “the great globe itself,” in a pivotal moment during The Tempest.
It makes sense that ol' Shakespeare would have his characters break the fourth wall like this, especially in tribute to a place that was so important to him. Also, there’s something particularly engaging and inclusive about someone on stage referring to the place where all the players and the crowd are assembled—“Good evening, Glastonbury!”
A performance at the Globe theatre
7. He might have paraphrased its motto
It is said—though sources are pretty scarce—that the motto of the Globe was Totus mundus agit histrionem, meaning “The whole world is a playhouse.” While this has never actually been confirmed, the phrase has long been associated with the theatre. Interestingly, it closely resembles the famous line from As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage.” Whether Shakespeare was influenced by this motto or simply shared the sentiment, we'll never know—but it's nice to imagine he was.
8. They used to flag up the genre
Different flags were used to signpost what kind of play was being performed that day. Flying high above the theatre, they were a good way of advertising the genre of the performance, or notifying prospective theatre-goers of a last-minute cancellation. This was true of many Elizabethan theatres.
Black flags were raised for tragedies, red ones announced history plays and white flags signalled comedies. Imagine if modern theatres adopted this system. A big white flag for "feel-good rom-com," or maybe a black one for “we’re going to need a box of tissues.”
The crowd watches a performance at the Globe theatre
9. They built it along the lines of the Colosseum in Rome (just a bit smaller)
In fact, many Elizabethan playhouses were designed similarly. The tiered seating areas ringed the stage which could hold up to 3000 spectators in the past. Today, spectators get a little more wiggle room for when legs start twitching around Act Four.
Those watching from ‘The Pit’, the standing area at the foot of the stage, were (not very respectfully) nicknamed ‘groundlings’. These were the cheaper than cheap seats. So cheap that they weren’t seats at all, but you could watch plays from the pit for just a penny. In Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre—the theatre that stands today—this is still the most affordable place from which to watch a performance. Nowadays, you can get tickets for as little as a fiver.
10. Henry VIII burnt down Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Well, that would have been a story! Sorry, this was just a history-related bit of clickbait. Henry did a lot of terrible things in his time, but he was dead nearly 20 years before Shakespeare was born. But he is still connected in some form...
On June 29th, 1613, during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, some small cannons were fired, with no balls inside them, but using real gunpowder. The thatched roof caught alight. The whole thing burned down in around an hour. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but one man’s trousers caught fire. Luckily, someone close to him threw some beer over the flames.
Enjoyed this? Before you exit this blog (pursued by a bear), why not enhance your London visit and check out our comparison guide to Shakespeare's Globe and Royal Albert Hall or have a look at other exciting things to do in Southwark in London?
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