Shakespeare's Globe facts for kids
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The Globe
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Shakespeare's Globe in August 2014
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 Shakespeare's Globe
Location in City of London
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| Address | New Globe Walk London, SE1 United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′29″N 0°5′50″W / 51.50806°N 0.09722°W |
| Public transit |   Blackfriars
London Bridge |
| Owner | The Shakespeare Globe Trust |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 1997 |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Architect | Pentagram |
Shakespeare's Globe is a modern copy of the famous Globe Theatre. This original theatre was built in 1599. It was where William Shakespeare wrote and staged many of his plays.
Just like the first one, the new Globe is in Southwark, London. It sits on the south side of the River Thames. The modern theatre opened in 1997. It puts on many plays, especially Shakespeare's works. The Globe also has a smaller, indoor theatre called the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. This theatre also looks like it's from Shakespeare's time.
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History of the Globe Theatre
The first Globe Theatre was built in 1599. Sadly, a fire destroyed it in 1613. It was quickly rebuilt in 1614. However, it was taken down in 1644.
The modern Shakespeare's Globe is a very close copy of the old theatres. It is based on what we know about the 1599 and 1614 buildings. It looks very real, but it's smaller for safety reasons. The new Globe can hold about 1,400 people. The original theatre could hold around 3,000.
The modern Shakespeare's Globe was started by an actor named Sam Wanamaker. It was built about 230 meters (750 feet) from where the first theatre stood. It opened in 1997 with a play called Henry V.
Michelle Terry is currently the artistic director. She helps decide which plays are shown.
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Designing and Building the Globe
In 1970, Sam Wanamaker started a project to build a new Globe. He wanted it to be just like Shakespeare's original theatre. Many people thought it would be too hard to build. This was because of the old 16th-century design and modern safety rules.
But Wanamaker and his friend Diana Devlin kept working on their dream for over 20 years. The new Globe was finally built. Its design was based on research by a history expert named John Orrell.
Wanamaker wanted the new building to look like the 1599 Globe. This was the theatre Shakespeare used most. Experts studied old buildings and other theatres from that time. They also looked at drawings and descriptions of the first Globe. Some parts of the 1614 theatre were also used in the new design. For example, the outside staircases were added.
The building team included architect Theo Crosby and engineers from Buro Happold. The actual building work was done by McCurdy & Co.
In 1994, another theatre in London was called "Globe Theatre." To avoid confusion, it changed its name to the Gielgud Theatre. The new "Shakespeare's Globe Theatre" opened in 1997. It has been showing plays every summer since then.
People Who Run the Globe
The Globe Theatre has had several artistic directors. These are the people who lead the theatre and choose the plays.
Mark Rylance was the first artistic director. He started in 1995. Then Dominic Dromgoole took over in 2006. In 2016, Emma Rice became the third director. She decided to leave later that year. On July 24, 2017, Michelle Terry was announced as the new artistic director.
Where the Globe Is and What It Looks Like
The theatre is on Bankside, about 230 meters (750 feet) from the original site. Old houses now stand on part of the original spot.
Like the first Globe, the modern theatre has a special stage. This stage, called a thrust stage, sticks out into a big round yard. Three levels of seats surround this yard. Only the stage and the seating areas have roofs.
The building was carefully researched to be as real as possible. This was helped by finding parts of the original Rose Theatre. The Rose was another theatre near the Globe.
The building is made completely of English oak. It uses old building methods with no steel. The seats are simple benches, but you can rent cushions. The Globe has the first thatched roof allowed in London since the Great Fire of London in 1666. The roof is safe from fire. It has special fire protection and sprinklers. The yard where people stand has a concrete floor. The original theatre had an earth floor covered with rushes.
The theatre also has modern areas for actors and musicians. There is a lobby, a restaurant, a gift shop, and a visitor center. The theatre can seat 873 people. About 700 more people, called "Groundlings," can stand in the yard. This means the audience is about half the size of audiences in Shakespeare's time.
Plays and Performances
Plays are performed during the summer, usually from May to early October. In winter, the theatre is used for teaching. You can take tours all year round. Some plays are filmed and shown in cinemas. They are also available on DVD and Blu-ray.
For many years, performances tried to be just like Shakespeare's time. There were no spotlights or microphones. Plays were done during the day or with simple indoor lights. All music was played live on old instruments. Actors and the audience could see and talk to each other easily. This made it feel like a shared community event.
The theatre often tries new ways to perform. They explore how plays were done in 1599. Modern lights and sound were not used for a long time. In 2016, the new artistic director, Emma Rice, started using some modern lights and sound. But the current director, Michelle Terry, has brought back the focus on original playing conditions.
The Globe does not get money from the government. It makes its own money, about £24 million each year.
Students from Rutgers University in New Jersey can study acting and design at the Globe. This is part of a special program.
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Next to the Globe is the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. This is an indoor theatre. It looks like theatres from the Jacobean era (a time after Shakespeare). It is used for performances in the winter when the main outdoor theatre is closed.
Read Not Dead
Read Not Dead is a series of play readings. Actors perform plays with their scripts in hand. This program started in 1995 as part of the Globe's education work. The plays chosen were written between 1576 and 1642. These are plays by writers who lived at the same time as Shakespeare. These readings happen at the Shakespeare's Globe Studios and other places.
In 2013, Read Not Dead performances were held at the Wilderness Festival and the Glastonbury Festival. In 2014, the final play of the season was performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The play was A Christian Turn'd Turk by Robert Daborne.
Globe on Screen
The Globe's plays are often shown in movie theaters. They are also released on DVD and Blu-ray. In 2015, the Globe started Globe Player. This is a service where you can watch plays on your computer or phone. The Globe was the first theatre in the world to offer its plays this way.
Other Globe Theatres Around the World
Many other theatres around the world are copies or inspired by the Globe:
- Argentina: Teatro Shakespeare.
- Neuss am Rhein, Germany: Globe Neuss
- Rust, Baden, Germany: in the Europa-Park
- Schwäbisch Hall, Germany: has a copy of the Globe's inside.
- Rome, Italy: Globe Theatre
- Tokyo, Japan: Panasonic Globe Theatre
- Tokyo, Japan: Meisei University's Shakespeare Hall.
- Auckland, New Zealand: Pop-up Globe
- Ashland, Oregon, United States: Allen Elizabethan Theatre
- Austin, Texas, United States: Curtain Theatre
- Cedar City, Utah, United States: Adams Shakespearean Theatre
- Dallas, Texas, United States: Old Globe Theatre
- Odessa, Texas, United States: Globe of the Great Southwest
- San Diego, California, United States: Old Globe Theatre
- Williamsburg, Virginia, United States: Globe Theatre, in Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Twin Lake, Michigan, United States: Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, The Rose Playhouse.
- Hempsted, New York, United States: Hofstra University, Pop-up Globe
See also
- Curtain Theatre
- The Rose
See also
In Spanish: Shakespeare's Globe para niños
