Shakespeare's Globe

"Totus mundus agit histrionem"

Okay, until you google it, let me translate that for you: it means "the whole world is a playhouse". That was an inscription above the main entrance of the original Globe theatre in the 17-th century when it was built and when Shakespeare had his plays staged there.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is a pentagram that was opened in 1997. It is a reconstruction of an Elizabethan playhouse Globe Theatre on the south bank of the River Thames that was originally built in 1599 by Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was then destroyed accidentally by fire on June 29-th in 1613, rebuilt in 1614, closed down in 1642 and then demolished in 1644.

The theatre

Shakespeare’s Globe theatre is one of the most famous theatres in the world and most of the people everywhere have heard of it. They’ve seen it on TV, in movies, etc. Maybe they’ve even visited it, who knows…

The theatre from inside is a combination of historical and modern architecture that gives its visitors an opportunity to glance at the history and kind of understand it.

The round shape of the theatre is something splendid and you won’t forget that experience of visiting Globe theatre ever. The performances are amazing and the decorations and everything is so very well planned that you kind of feel yourself as an actor or a character of that performance.

Getting there

Shakespeare’s Globe has two disabled parking spaces, so it’s not a problem for people with disabilities to access the theatre.

Nearest station is London Bridge and so you can easily take public transport, in this case _ tube. And it’s near Tate Modern!

The exhibition

The exhibition below the theatre is magnificent. Here you can be taken back to the very history where it all started and how the theatre was built and everything. This exhibition is just amazing and whoever you are visiting London, you should definitely go and check it out. Even if you don’t really like theatre _ like me (yes, hello, that’s me, I am not really a fond of theatre plays, I admit) _ I’ll tell you, that it’s imperative that you see the exhibition. And if you are a lover of theatre, this is just something you would go to London, I guess. Maybe, that would even be your only reason for visiting London, because every theatre lover should have seen Shakespeare’s Globe theatre and its exhibition there.

During the 17-th century London’s theatre was very popular. It’s said that somewhere between 10 to 20 thousand people attended each week and we’ve seen that in films about that era, too. Well, at least, I’ve seen lots of films about it and how people go to the theatre and it’s kind of like a habit for them and it’s really casual to go to the cinema at the end of the week perhaps.

Opening hours and prices

The exhibition opening hours are from 9 a. m. till 5 p. m. and there are guided tours available from 9:30 a. m. The prices range from 9 pounds to 40, and children under 5 years can enter free of charge. And if you are a Friend of Shakespeare’s Globe, then you can get there free of charge, too. If you want to become a Friend you should check their website or ask them about it on the information desk in the entrance room in Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.

Accessibility at the Globe theatre

Senior Marketing and Access Officer David Bellwood talks about the accessibility there at the Globe theatre: “_Well, it’s something we’re always working on. The Elizabethans who designed the original Globe and the Jacobeans who designed the original plans for the playhouse weren’t necessarily thinking that much about access at the time, so a lot of it is responding to the needs and requirements of patrons who come. For the performances we have captioned performances, sign language interpreted performances and audio described performances, with our education work we have provided relaxed performances as well for people who prefer a more relaxed environment and our workshops and education work: we work a lot with people with special educational needs, people with learning disabilities and learning difficulties, we do a lot of outreach work with groups who are deaf/blind, for people living with dementia and people on the autistic spectrum, so we try to take into account all of that feedback and to improve what we are doing here. ”

So, you see, there are whole lot of opportunities for many people at the Globe theatre and they try their best to do more and more and improve and that’s really great.

The Swan Bar and Restaurant

There’s this Swan Bar and Restaurant on the same level as the theatre just nearby, where you can sit after visiting the theatre and just have a great ending of your day.

The environment is very nice and the entrance is really beautiful, too. It has this green grass on the walls both sides from the door. Entering there, you will find two floors in it. You can get on the second floor by stairs that you will see as soon as you enter the building. Well, imagine, it’s a bar as well as a restaurant, so these two things are kind of combined together and make a rather strange interior that can not be ignored.

Months in advance before we took flight to London last year, my dad mentioned that he was hoping to get us tickets to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe. My heart skipped a beat. 

This is a theatre built just a few hundred yards from the original site of Shakespeare's very own stage. The original Globe was used by Shakespeare's company and burned to the ground in 1613. Rebuilt, this time with a tiled roof instead of a thatched one, the theatre continued being used until all theatres were closed during a time of Puritan administration in England. It was later torn down to build residences. The modern Shakespeare's Globe is constructed to look like the original theatre, with its circular shape, large standing area at the center (for the "groundlings"), and box seats with wooden benches. 

I am a huge fan of Shakespeare, having gone to see plays often in Atlanta since I was in elementary school. Evidently the tickets at Shakespeare's Globe are very hard to come by, so my dad planned out the exact moment that they would go on sale. He jumped on the website right when they were released and... Thank God, he was able to book us 4 good seats! Our seats were in the covered area (no groundlings for us, although if I had been traveling on my own I would have probably gone for these cheaper, more authentic seats...I mean, standing spots). But our nice, dry, and covered area of benches was just what we needed to see this magnificent performance in a location steeped in history.

When we arrived at The Globe it was standard London weather...a downpour. We ran into the restaurant across the street, Pizza Express, which is so much better than it sounds! Shakespeare's Globe is in a very convenient location near a lot of restaurants, so arriving early and grabbing dinner was a breeze.

We walked through the doors at Shakespeare's Globe and I was already thrilled with excitement (and happily full of pizza). The chance to see Shakespeare's work performed in its original home is an amazing thing. We were there to see A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is one of my favorite plays. All of the versions of this play that I have seen have had their own unique twist, and I was sure that this one would not disappoint. 

What to expect: We purchased seats in the covered area that included seat cushions. I was very glad of this, because the benches are very hard. The cushions were more expensive, but worth it if you want to feel your bum afterwards. There are also tickets you can buy for standing-room only down in the "groundlings" section. This is how many people would have watched the original plays in The Globe. In the groundlings, you cannot use an umbrella because it would block someone's view. So, ponchos are recommended because it can be very rainy in London. But, the benefit of being a groundling is that you get an authentic experience and possible a very up-close-and-personal one. Several of the groundlings were involved in the play as Puck jumped around amongst them and messed with the audience.

The acting quality: Being in London, the acting scene is already top class. There are so many theaters in London, performing plays from Shakespeare to contemporary pieces. The acting company at Shakespeare's Globe was extremely talented and a dream to watch. They danced, sang, made us belly-laugh, and jumped in people's faces as they performed this Shakespearean comedy. The music was superb, with live musicians on the stage for the entire production. The play had a unique bollywood vibe to it, which made us dance along in our seats to many of the songs. 

Going to Shakespeare's Globe was one of the highlights of my trip to London, and I highly recommend it. The acting quality plus location made it a unique experience I will never forget. Enjoy!