Shakespeare's Globe on London's South Bank is an authentic reconstruction of the Elizabethan Globe Theatre, where William Shakespeare performed his works between 1599 and 1613. The current building was opened in 1997, about 230 metres from the original location. The open wooden amphitheatre seats around 1,400 spectators, of whom 700 stand in the Pit beneath the open sky — when it rains, the audience gets wet. Performances feature Shakespeare plays in historically informed productions, primarily from May to October. Since 2014 the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an indoor Jacobean-style theatre, has supplemented the programme with winter performances.
The open-air standing tickets deliberately cost only a few pounds — just as in Shakespeare's day, when the "groundlings" stood in the rain for a penny.
At a glance
- Type
- Theatre
- Location
- London, United Kingdom
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