The BSC social programme went to the Globe Theatre on Friday, the theatre which is, of course, synonymous with William Shakespeare, England’s greatest poet and playwright. Shakespeare became a resident at the original Globe in the 1580s and for 14 years it became the venue for many of Shakespeare’s famous plays. British Study Centres’ visit was set to coincide with the beginning of the Shakespeare season at the Globe which starts on the 24th April and lasts for 3 months during the summer.

The theatre is actually a close copy of the original Globe Theatre which was demolished in 1644. Nobody knows for sure what the original Globe looked like, and Sam Wanamaker who rebuilt the globe had to rely only on prints, written accounts and contracts. During its time at the original site the theatre lived through several tumultuous events. The theatre burned down and was rebuilt, and it was moved piece by piece over the river to the southern side because of a problem with the lease on the original site. After its illustrious life the theatre was finally demolished in 1644 after the forced closure of all theatres in England two years earlier. The replica of the globe was finished in 1997.

Today the reconstructed Globe Theatre stands proudly on the south bank of the River Thames and adds to the great variety of buildings along the river, including London Bridge and the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, and further east, the City, with its gleaming skyscrapers.

One interesting piece of trivia is that these old theatres did not have toilets – so one can only speculate about the solution, with the theatre’s closeness to the River Thames!

Website: http://www.shakespeares-globe.org
Price: £8.50, includes guided tour and exhibition