Hello lovely people! I’m fresh off my trip to Ireland with more experiences and recommendations just busting to be shared. That will have to wait though, for now.
Today is my birthday! Since last week was William Shakespeare’s birthday, I wanted to write about something dear to my heart. It not only involves the Bard himself but my favorite place, London. You may have guessed it already but this week’s post is all about that wonderful piece of Tudor architecture on London’s Southbank, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Now, my story with the Globe goes back a long way – all the way back to my first trip to England when I was a young girl. We’ve been eluding each other for years, you see. My first experience with Europe was a theatrical tour of the UK. You can’t really do a theatre tour of England without including Shakespeare, it would just be wrong.
It wasn’t meant to be though because of one teeny, tiny impediment – it was still in the process of being built. The production of Twelfth Night we would have seen in the Globe was performed elsewhere and we returned to the United States one venue shy of the perfect Shakespeare tour. Since that time, it had been eating at me. For a theatre lover like myself, this is truly a bucket list item. It’s sacred ground.
It was on my trip in the autumn of 2016 that I caught my first glimpse of this sacred ground, which momentarily satisfied my longing. A year later, I finally saw my first show there. As a purist, it was always going to be one of the works of Shakespeare that I’d see performed live. I’ll tell you, it was worth the wait. It’s one spot that I highly recommend to anyone who appreciates history, theatre, architecture and literature. It’s just not to be missed. I sat in the theatre in complete awe with a silly grin on my face rapt by the entire performance of King Lear. I’m not exaggerating.
The summer of 2017 at the Globe was dubbed “The Summer of Love,” appropriate since I fell in love at first sight of that exposed wood framework. The theatre was decorated accordingly with pastel coloured string lights hung about and a giant sign reading “LOVE” in neon letters on the side of the building.
Located on the South Bank of the Thames, the theatre is a beautiful example of old world London. Though the original building no longer stands and has since been rebuilt to replicate the original, when you’re sitting on those hard, old wooden benches with the seat cushion you just purchased for 1£, it’s as if you’ve been transported back in time. You can just picture the plays being performed over 400 years ago, Queen Elizabeth I in attendance.
The original Globe Theatre was built out of necessity. A company of actors that called themselves Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which included one William Shakespeare, needed a theatre to perform their plays. At the end of 1598, they decided to take matters into their own hands and finance and build a theatre for themselves. Quite a venture for that time.
The circular shape of the structure, though inspired by the “D” shape of Roman amphitheatres, was meant to mimic that of crowds gathering around a stage in a town marketplace. It was there the company performed their open-air performances to great success until 1613 when the thatched roof caught fire and the Globe burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in 1614 only to be torn down in 1644 after the Puritans closed down all theatres.
The Globe would remain closed for over 350 years until an American actor living in London became got the idea into his head to build a replica of the original Globe. In 1970, Sam Wanamaker started the Shakespeare Globe Playhouse Trust to raise funds and 17 years later the groundbreaking ceremony took place near the Bankside location of the original. Two years later, remnants of the original theatre were found buried beneath a historic 19th century building. These findings prompted the adjustment of the designs of the new theatre – the structure was planned with 24 sides but changed to 20. How cool is that?
The Globe which stands now on the banks of the River Thames was finally completed in 1997, a beautiful replica of the 16th century theatre Shakespeare performed in. The design is faithful to the original aesthetics, barring a few adjustments to meet fire safety regulations. Even though it’s not the original, it really is extraordinary to look around the interior with the knowledge that William Shakespeare himself performed in a theatre very much like it in a spot very near it.
Perhaps my favorite part is the fact that you can purchase 5£ tickets to any production which really makes it accessible for all to enjoy the theatre. These tickets grant you access to the floor surrounding the stage, they are standing and in the open-air section, so you may get rained on. But, hey, that’s all part of the charm. One is tempted to see every show with ticket prices like that. If you do buy a seat, I highly recommend springing for the extra pound to get a cushion – trust me.
I’m happy to report that my trip to London this year is already booked. Recently, a friend planted a seed about doing a tour of the Globe. The same friend who planted the seed to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London before it came to New York…wise friend. Though I’m not usually one to tour stadiums and theatres, this one may be worth it. I’ll be sure to report back.
Until next time – cheers!
Adventures of a New Yorker traveling the world.
Adventures of a New Yorker traveling the world.
