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Shakespeares Globe

Shakespeare's company built the Globe Theatre around 1598. The Theatre is situated on the South bank of the River Thames and still is a working theatre that hosts many events. Here you can experience a Shakespearean play in an open-air theatre the way an audience would have seen it in back in 1600.

Shakespeare's Globe as it appears today is actually a modern reconstruction of the historic theater. The original theater suffered a fire in 1613 and was destroyed by Cromwell's government in 1642. The theater that stands on the site today was built in the 1990s and is a carefully-constructed reproduction. You can tour the theater itself (and view several exhibitions about Shakespeare and his plays) or, from April to October, you can experience a Shakespearean performance in much the same way an audience would have 400 years ago.

A performance is the best way to experience this theatre. If that is not an option, skip the regular tour and take the Heaven to Hell: Backstage Tour. You will venture backstage, up above the stage (Heaven), under the stage through the trapdoor (Hell) and on the stage, which you will probably not get the chance to do unless hired by the Globe.