Globe Theatre

Globe Theatre
en:Wenceslaus Hollar · Public domain · source
Name	Globe Theatre
City	London
Country	England
Type	Elizabethan theatre
Opened	1599
Rebuilt	1614, 1997
Closed	1642
Demolished	1644–45

Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre was a prominent Elizabethan theatre located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames in London. It is most famously associated with the playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and its principal playwright, William Shakespeare. Constructed in 1599 from the timbers of an earlier theatre, The Theatre, it was destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt the following year, and finally closed by the Puritan-led authorities in 1642 before being demolished.

History

The original Globe was built in 1599 by Cuthbert Burbage and his brother, the renowned actor Richard Burbage, using materials from their former playhouse, The Theatre in Shoreditch. This move was necessitated by a dispute with the landowner, Giles Allen. Key financial partners in the venture, known as "sharers," included several members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, such as John Heminges and Augustine Phillips. The theatre quickly became a central venue for Shakespeare's greatest works, including premieres of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. A pivotal event occurred on 29 June 1613 when a theatrical cannon, fired during a performance of *Henry VIII*, ignited the thatched roof and burned the structure to the ground. It was rebuilt with a tiled roof and reopened in 1614. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War, the Puritan-dominated Parliament of England ordered the closure of all theatres in 1642, and the Globe was demolished around 1644 to make way for tenement buildings.

Architecture and design

The Globe was a large, open-air amphitheatre, typical of the period, with a polygonal structure surrounding a central yard. Its design was influenced by the classical proportions of the Roman theatre and the courtyards of London inns used for earlier performances. The stage was a large, rectangular platform that projected into the yard, allowing for intimate contact with the audience. At the rear was the "tiring house," a multi-level facade with doors and a balcony used for scenes like the famous one in Romeo and Juliet. The theatre could hold up to 3,000 spectators across three tiers of covered galleries and the open "pit," where groundlings stood. The roof over the stage, known as the "heavens," was painted with celestial symbols and could be used for flying entrances. Unlike the first Globe, the 1614 reconstruction featured a tiled roof as a precaution after the fire.

Productions and performances

The Globe was the primary home of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of James VI and I. Its repertoire was dominated by the works of William Shakespeare, but also included plays by contemporaries like Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and John Fletcher. Performances were held in the afternoon, relying on natural light, and were announced by flying flags and trumpeters. The company performed a wide variety of genres, from the histories like *Henry V* and tragedies like Macbeth to comedies such as Twelfth Night. Special effects were achieved through simple but inventive means: cannons for battle sounds, trapdoors for ghosts, and animal blood bladders for violence. The theatre also staged works by other prominent playwrights of the Jacobean era, cementing its status as a leading cultural institution.

Ownership and management

The Globe operated under a unique partnership model. It was owned by a consortium of "housekeepers," who held shares in the building itself, and the "sharers," who were members of the acting company and shared in the profits. Key original housekeepers included the Burbage brothers, who held a 50% stake, and five actor-sharers from the Lord Chamberlain's Men: John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, William Kempe, and William Shakespeare. This arrangement gave the leading actors a direct financial interest in the success of both the plays and the venue. Following the 1613 fire, the cost of rebuilding was shared among the existing partners, with new investors like John Witter also joining. The company's patronage under James I provided a degree of prestige and protection, though it did not shield them from the eventual closure ordered by the Long Parliament.

Modern Globe Theatre

The modern reconstruction, known as Shakespeare's Globe, is the result of the tireless campaign by the American actor and director Sam Wanamaker. Located approximately 750 feet from the original site, it opened in 1997 after years of research and fundraising. The project was informed by historical evidence, including the remains of the Rose Theatre and illustrations like the Hollar panorama. The new theatre, under the artistic direction of figures like Mark Rylance and Michelle Terry, strives for historical authenticity in its thatched-roof, open-air design and historically-informed production practices. It forms part of a larger cultural complex that includes the indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a replica of a Jacobean theatre. The institution is a major tourist attraction and an active producing theatre, dedicated to the exploration of Shakespeare's works and Elizabethan performance conditions.