Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Shakespeare’s Globe is a world-renowned performing arts venue, cultural attraction and education centre located near the River Thames in London.

History of Shakespeare's Globe

The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by the playing company, Lord Chamberlain's Men, to which Shakespeare belonged, and was destroyed by fire on June 29, 1613. The fire was caused by an accident with a cannon during a production of Henry VIII.

In 1970 American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, and International Shakespeare Globe Centre with the objective of building a faithful recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe close to its original Bankside, Southwark location.

While many had said that the Globe reconstruction was impossible to achieve, he persevered for over 20 years, and eventually a new Globe Theatre was built according to a design based on the research of historical advisor John Orrell.

The theatre opened in 1997 and now stages plays every summer. It is roughly 230 metres from the original site, centre to centre, and was the first thatched roof building permitted in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Shakespeare's writings relived

Plays are staged during the summer, usually between May and the first week of October, and in the winter the theatre is used for educational purposes. Tours are available all year round.

Performances are staged in a manner which is as close as possible to how it was in the original theatre.

There are no spotlights, speakers or microphones. All music is performed live to your ears, the actors can see the audience and the audience can see each other, adding to the feeling of a shared experience and community event.

When the play is done, we'd recommend checking out the amazing food at the Swan Bar & Restaurant linked to the theatre.

The Globe's Cause

The Globe celebrate Shakespeare’s transformative impact on the world by conducting a radical theatrical experiment.

Inspired and informed by the unique historic playing conditions of two beautiful iconic theatres, the diverse programme of work harnesses the power of performance, cultivates intellectual curiosity and excites learning to make Shakespeare accessible for all.