In 1576, the first theatre was built in Shoreditch, London. During his early years in the capital, William Shakespeare joined the theatre’s resident company (later called the Chamberlains) and continued to perform there for almost 20 years. However, in 1598, Shakespeare invested his money and purchased shares in a new theatre being built in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames. They named it the Globe. For 14 years, the theatre prospered, building a strong reputation and presenting many several of the Bards plays. However, during a performance of Henry VIII in 1613, the buildings thatched roof caught fire, when theatrical cannon were accidentally fired and the theatre completely destroyed. Although the Globe Theatre was rebuilt within Shakespeare’s lifetime, it is not known whether he ever performed there again. In 1642, under the guidance of Puritans administration, all theatres in England were ordered to close. Two years later and still being vacant, the property was demolished.

Though it is not known exactly what the Globe Theatre looked like, evidence gathered leads us to believe that it was open-air and that it housed an audience of approximately 3,000. In 1988, a small part of the amphitheatre’s foundation was uncovered, and from this, it is now widely believed that the original shape of the building was a 20 sided polygon with a diameter of 100 feet.

Hundreds of years later in 1949, Sam Wanamaker, a young American actor and director visited London for the first time. Hoping to find the famous site of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, he was greatly disappointed to find there was no landmark on the site. Some 21 years later, Wanamaker returned and founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust; its aim to reconstruct the theatre. Despite much criticism, for 23 years he fundraised endlessly, continuously researching and finally planning the rebuild until he passed away. At this point, the site had been purchased and the skeleton structure complete. Three and a half years later, the theatre was completed.

The reconstruction of the Globe was meticulously accurate. The wood used was ‘Green’ oak, as was used in the 16^th century, and this was cut, prepared and assembled as was done in the Bards’ day. Similarly, a traditional plaster was fashioned instead of a current method and the walls coated in a white lime wash. During the 1988 excavation of the original theatre, samples of water reed thatch were found, needless to say, this has also been used in the reconstruction. With benches used for seating and an area for ‘groundlings’ to stand, with the exception of the fire exits and requirements, one would really believe that they are in an authentic, Elizabethan playhouse.