Shakespeare's Globe (company)

Shakespeare's Globe (company)
Name	Shakespeare's Globe (company)
Founded	1970s (Globe reconstruction project); company established 1990s
Founder	Sam Wanamaker
Headquarters	Bankside, London
Key people	Dominic Dromgoole; Michelle Terry; Emma Rice; Mark Rylance
Industry	Theatre; Cultural Heritage
Products	Live theatre productions; Education programmes; Exhibitions

Shakespeare's Globe (company) Shakespeare's Globe (company) is a theatrical and cultural organisation based on Bankside, London, responsible for operating the reconstructed Globe Theatre and an associated modern playhouse. The company stages seasons of early modern and contemporary productions, runs extensive education and training programmes, manages exhibitions and visitor services, and maintains scholarly and performance links with institutions across Europe and North America. It traces intellectual and practical roots to the work of Sam Wanamaker and engages with figures and organisations from the Renaissance canon to contemporary theatre-makers.

History

The company's origins lie in the reconstruction initiative inspired by Sam Wanamaker, who researched the relationship between the original Globe, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, and the Lord Chamberlain's Men; the project drew support from figures such as Anthony Quayle and organisations including the National Trust and the City of London Corporation. Archaeological excavations on Bankside involved teams from Museum of London Archaeology and researchers familiar with the Guildhall Library collections and the British Museum, while funding and advocacy connected the effort to donors like the Heritage Lottery Fund and cultural patrons associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the British Council. The reconstructed theatre opened in the late 1990s, part of a wider late-twentieth-century revival of historical performance practice influenced by scholars at Oxford University, Cambridge University, and practitioners linked to Peter Brook and John Barton.

Organisation and Governance

The company's governance structure includes a board drawing on leaders from theatre, heritage and philanthropy, with chief executives and artistic directors historically encompassing figures such as Mark Rylance, Dominic Dromgoole, Emma Rice, and Michelle Terry. Funding and governance intersect with public bodies like the Arts Council England and private benefactors often associated with trusts such as the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation. Operational partnerships have included management links to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse initiative and advisory relationships with academics from King's College London and University College London, as well as curatorial exchange with museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Productions and Programming

The company's seasonal repertoire ranges from canonical works by William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson to new plays by contemporary dramatists connected to companies like the Royal Court Theatre and the National Theatre. Productions have involved directors and actors with profiles tied to Trevor Nunn, Nicholas Hytner, Fiona Shaw, Ralph Fiennes, and ensembles with links to the Globe Theatre Trust and touring relationships with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and international venues including the Stratford Festival (Canada) and the Public Theater (New York). Programming often includes experimental stagings influenced by the methodologies of Stanislavski, Grotowski, and contemporary practitioners from Complicite.

Education and Training

Education initiatives serve schools, universities, and professional artists, offering courses that reference curricula from University of Warwick, Royal Holloway, and conservatoires such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Training schemes, apprenticeships and workshops draw on historical practice specialists connected to the Early English Books Online corpus and archival holdings at the Bodleian Library and the British Library. Outreach programmes collaborate with local authorities like Southwark Council and cultural charities including IntoUniversity and the National Literacy Trust to broaden access to early modern drama and performance.

Tours, Exhibitions and Visitor Experience

The site offers guided tours, exhibitions and the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse reconstruction, curated by teams with experience of institutions such as the Museum of London and the Imperial War Museum. Exhibitions highlight artefacts and facsimiles from collections like the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Bodleian Library, and the National Archives, while visitor programming connects with festivals such as the London Festival and engages volunteers and docents trained in collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and community groups from Southwark and Lambeth.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborative projects have linked the company with academic partners including King's College London, University of Oxford, and Yale University, and with cultural organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the British Library. International partnerships include exchange seasons with the Public Theater, touring agreements with the Stratford Festival, and co-productions involving companies like Theatre de Complicite and European houses in Avignon and Berlin. Funding and research collaborations have involved foundations like the Arts Council England and universities engaged with digitisation projects such as EEBO-TCP.

Reception and Impact

Critical reception spans mainstream coverage in outlets aligned with cultural commentary such as The Guardian, The Times, and The New York Times, with scholarly response from journals affiliated with Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. The company's impact includes contributions to the revival of historically informed performance, tourism on Bankside linked to the Southbank Centre and Tate Modern, and pedagogical influence on conservatoires and drama departments from RADA to Central Saint Martins. Awards and recognition have been noted in cultural listings alongside institutions like the Royal Opera House and accolades from bodies such as the Olivier Awards and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Category:Theatre companies in London