Shakespeare's Globe

How the Globe came about

The American actor and director Sam Wanamaker started the project in 1970, and the theatre opened in 1997 with Henry V. It is modelled on the 1599 playhouse, with a thrust stage, galleries seating around 870 and a thatched roof, the first allowed in London since the Great Fire of 1666. The sprinklers on the roof are a modern concession to safety; otherwise the building follows traditional methods.

Seeing a play

Standing in the yard as a groundling is the classic way to watch: you're close to the actors and exposed to the weather, just as Elizabethan audiences were. In the darker months the programme moves indoors to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, opened in 2014, a small Jacobean-style theatre lit by candles. Seats in the roofed galleries are the drier alternative if rain is forecast.

Tours and the surrounding area

Guided tours of the theatre explain its history and construction, and there are walking tours of Bankside. The Globe is on the Thames Path: cross the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral, or walk east to Borough Market for lunch, with The Shard beyond. The riverside walk west leads to Tate Modern, right next door.

Highlights

• Reconstruction of Shakespeare's 1599 Globe
• Standing groundling tickets in the open-air yard
• Candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
• Guided theatre tours and Bankside walks

Good to know

• The yard is open to the sky, so dress for the weather if standing.
• Indoor performances take place in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
• There is a bar and restaurant on site.

Frequently asked questions