Shakespeare's Globe Theater is considered one of the most famous not only in the UK, but also in Europe. Today it is not only a famous cultural institution where you can see the performances of famous directors and watch the game of stars of the world theater stage, but it is also one of the most famous sights of London.
Background
It all started with the fact that in 1576 the first public London theater was built in Shoreditch, which everyone simply called “The Theater”. It belonged to James Burbage, who worked as a carpenter in his youth, but later became an actor and assembled his own troupe. This theater lasted until 1597, when the owner of the land on which he stood, demanded to vacate the site or pay him a rent in double size. Then the sons of the owner of the institution - Richard and Cuthbert - decided to found a new institution on the other side of the Thames and transported there the rafted wooden structures of the stage - beam after beam.
The first "Globe"
The construction of the new theater lasted 2 years. As a result, Burbage's heirs became owners of half of the building and took 50 percent of the shares of the new institution. As for the remaining securities, they divided them among several of the most famous members of the old troupe, one of which was the actor and author of most of the plays that make up the Globes repertoire, William Shakespeare.
The new theater lasted only 14 years, during which the premieres of almost all works written by the great playwright took place there. “Globe” was incredibly popular, and among the audience it was often possible to see important nobles and aristocrats. Once, when the performance “Henry the Eighth” was on the stage, the theater gun failed, resulting in the thatched roof being ignited, and the wooden building burned to the ground for several hours. Fortunately, no one was injured, except for one spectator who received minor burns, but the Shakespeare's Globus Theater, considered one of the most famous institutions of its kind in England at that time, was destroyed.
History from 1614 to 1642
Shortly after the fire, the theater was rebuilt in the same place again. However, to date, researchers do not have a unanimous opinion about whether William Shakespeare participated in the financing of the new project. As the playwright's biographers note, during this period he had big health problems, and it is quite possible that he began to gradually retire. Be that as it may, Shakespeare passed away on April 23, 1616, while the second theater lasted until 1642. It was then that the Globe was closed, and its troupe was dissolved, since a civil war broke out in England, and the Puritans who came to power succeeded in banning any recreational activities that did not correspond to Protestant morality. After 2 years, the theater building was completely demolished, thus freeing up space for the construction of residential apartment buildings. At the same time, the development was so dense that there were not even any traces of the existence of the Globus Theater.
Excavations
Great Britain is known as a country where over the past 500 years they have been very attentive to documents and archives. Therefore, it is very strange that until the end of the 80s of the last century no one could name the exact place where in the 17th century the famous Shakespeare’s Globus Theater was located. Archaeological excavations carried out in 1989 at the Anchor Terrace car park located on Park Street shed light on this question. Then the scientists managed to discover parts of the foundation and one of the towers of the Globe. According to scientists, in this area even today it would be worth continuing to search for new fragments of the theater complex. However, research is not possible, since there are nearby architectural monuments of the 18th century, which are not subject to analysis according to British law.
What was the building of the theater under Shakespeare
The size of the second “Globe” is still not known for certain, but scientists were able to restore its plan with great accuracy. In particular, they were able to establish that it was built in the form of a three-tier open amphitheater with a diameter of 97-102 feet, which could simultaneously accommodate up to 3 thousand spectators. At the same time, it was initially believed that this structure was round, but excavations of part of the foundation showed that it resembled an 18- or 20-faceted and had at least one tower.
As for the internal structure of the Globe, the extended proscenium reached the middle of the open courtyard. The scene itself with the hatch, where the actors came from if necessary, was 43 feet wide, 27 feet long and was raised above the ground to a height of about 1.5 m.
Spectator places
The description of the Globus Theater that has survived to this day indicates that rather comfortable lodges for the aristocracy were located along the wall on the first tier. Above them were arranged galleries for wealthy citizens, and the less affluent, but respected Londoners and young people who had money, watched the performance, sitting in places located directly on the stage. There was also a so-called pit in the theater, where poor people were allowed to pay one penny to watch the performance. It is interesting that this category had the habit of eating nuts and oranges during theatrical performances, therefore, when excavating the foundation of the Globe, heaps of shell fragments and citrus seeds were found.
Backstage and places for musicians
A roof was erected over the back of the stage, supported by massive columns. Below it, at a distance of human height, there was a ceiling with a hatch painted with clouds, from where, if necessary, the actors could go down on the ropes, depicting deities or angels. There, during the performances, there were working scenes lowering or raising the scenery.
From behind the curtains, where the members of the troupe changed clothes and where they watched the performance in anticipation of their release, two or three doors led to the stage. The balcony adjoined the backstage, where the musicians of the theater orchestra were seated, and in some performances, for example, when staging “Romeo and Juliet,” it was used as an additional platform on which the play took place.
Shakespeare's Globe Theater today
England is considered one of the countries whose contribution to the world of dramatic art can hardly be overestimated. And today the famous, including historical, theaters of London, of which there are more than a dozen, do not lack spectators throughout the season. Of particular interest is the third Globus, as its visit is akin to a kind of time travel. In addition, tourists are attracted by the interactive museum operating under it.
In 1990, the idea arose to revive the English Globus Theater. Moreover, the project manager, well-known American director and actor Sam Wenhamaker insisted that the new building be built so as to resemble the original as much as possible. The reviews of tourists who have already visited the performances of the Globe Theater show that a fairly large team of famous architects, engineers and consultants engaged in the implementation of the project of the revival of one of the most famous cultural institutions in the history of London, managed to fully. They even covered the roof with thatch, impregnating it with a fire-fighting compound, although such building material has not been used in the British capital for more than 250 years. The opening took place in 1997, and for about 18 years you can see the productions of many Shakespeare's plays with original decorations and costumes. Moreover, as during the reign of Jacob the First and Charles the First, the theater does not have artificial lighting and performances are held only during the day.
Performances
As already mentioned, the basis of the repertoire of the revived Globe is a play by William Shakespeare. Especially popular are such performances as The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Henry IV, Hamlet and others that play like they did in the 17th century. In fairness, I must say that not all the traditions of Shakespeare's theater have been preserved in the modern Globe. In particular, female roles today are played by actresses, not young actors, as was customary 250 years ago.
More recently, the theater came on tour to Russia and brought in the production of the play “A Midsummer Night's Dream”. She was able to see not only Muscovites, but also residents of Yekaterinburg, Pskov and many other cities of our country. The reviews of the Russians were more than delighted, even despite the fact that most viewers listened to the text in simultaneous translation, which could not but interfere with the holistic perception of the actors' play.
Where is it and how to get there
Today, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater is located at New Globe Walk, SE1. The easiest way to get there is by metro, reaching Cannon St, Mansion House Station. Since the building is partially roofless, you can become a spectator at the performance of the Globus Theater only from May 19 to September 20. At the same time, throughout the year, guided tours of the building are organized, allowing you to see not only the stage and the auditorium, but also how the scenery and the backstage are arranged. Also, tourists are shown costumes made according to the sketches of the 17th century and ancient theater props. The price for visiting the theater as a museum of theatrical art from the time of Shakespeare is 7 pounds for children and 11 pounds for adults.
Now you know the history of the Globe Theater, and also you know how to get there and what performances you can watch there.