Shakespeare’s Globe
A reconstruction of Shakespeare’s open-air playhouse on Bankside.
Shakespeare's Globe is a modern reconstruction of the open-air Elizabethan playhouse built in 1599, for which Shakespeare wrote many of his plays. It stands on the south bank of the Thames at Bankside, a short distance from the original site, and was realised through the long campaign of the American actor and director Sam Wanamaker, opening in 1997.
The complex has two stages: the thatched, timber-framed Globe Theatre, where audiences can stand in the yard just as they did in Shakespeare's day, and the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an indoor Jacobean-style theatre used mainly in the colder months. Alongside the performances, the Globe runs guided tours, an exhibition, walking tours of Bankside and a wide education and research programme.
Highlights
- Open-air Globe Theatre with standing 'groundling' tickets
- Candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
- Guided tours and exhibition on the Globe's history
- Riverside setting on Bankside by the Millennium Bridge
