Globe Theatre of Shakespeare

The Globe, Shakespeare's theatre

The London audio-guided tour has you discover Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, on the south bank of the Thames. It is here that the famous playwright wrote and staged some of his greatest works, known throughout the world.

From Elizabethan theatre to reconstruction

The first theatre was built here in 1599 and served as the performance hall for Shakespeare's company. A few years later, a fire broke out during a performance and destroyed the building. Rebuilt the following year, it was then closed under the influence of the Puritans, hostile to theatre. The present building is a faithful reconstruction, raised in the twentieth century near the original site, to bring Elizabethan theatre back to life.

What there is to see

The Globe is a circular open-air theatre, faithful to the Elizabethan halls, with its thrust stage, its wooden galleries and its pit where the audience stood. You can attend performances of Shakespeare's plays there, in conditions close to those of his time, or visit the theatre and its exhibition. It is a unique dive into the history of English theatre.

Practical information

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is on the south bank of the Thames, in the Southwark district, near the Tate Modern. The visits and the performances follow their own schedule, with a charge, whose times may vary with the season. The façade can be contemplated freely from the quays.

When was the first Globe built?

In 1599, for Shakespeare's company; destroyed by fire, then rebuilt, it inspired the present twentieth-century reconstruction.

What can you do at the Globe Theatre?

Attend performances of Shakespeare's plays in a reconstructed Elizabethan theatre, or visit it with its exhibition.