At the Heart of the Globe Theatre

Shakespeare’s shows have been performed throughout the world including Great Britain. They have been seen in the Globe Theatre in London since the Elizabethan times.

The Globe Theatre has had a variety of different audiences in its time who have come to watch many actors and actresses perform in the showing of Romeo and Juliet.

The theatre can hold up to 1500 and more people, so each performance is in front of a huge audience. Many members of the audience can watch from the grounds directly in front of the stage. Up to 3000 people can stand there to be exact.

In the early years of the Globe Theatre, before central heating was introduced, the audience would have to bring their coats and scarves in the winter, as this particular theatre is open-roofed. This meant that the cold, biting air was let into the room. After years of these cold nights, the performances were moved to the indoor playhouses in the winter. Directors tried to prevent this as much as possible however, so they tried to fit in as many plays during the summer seasons as they could. Whilst the construction of the New Globe Theatre was taking place, central heating was installed. Therefore, future audiences were able to enjoy every Shakespearean performance, even during the winter. The Old Globe Theatre also had limited artificial lighting, which was changed later on, and it was produced with materials with huge fire risks such as wood and only had one entrance/exit. Audience members also have to bring umbrellas or hats to suit the weather, as there is no roof to protect them from the rain or sun.

The Old Globe Theatre had many rules, but most of them changed after it was destroyed in a fire in 1613. One of the rules that dramatically changed was the system that...

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...ry VIII. Not long after the cannon was fired, the thatched roof caught on fire. It did not take long to spread as the building was made of materials prone to fire. The theatre had to be knocked down for health and safety reasons. However, it was reconstructed shortly after in the year of 1614.

But, in the year of 1642, the Puritan Parliament issued an ordinance and ended the Globe Theatre. It was demolished in 1644.

The site of the Old Globe Theatre was rediscovered in the 20th century and a reconstruction started to take place as near to the place as possible. This is the theatre which still stands today, and which has been running, and holding many performances including ones written by Shakespeare.

Overall, the Globe Theatre has a lot of history behind it, some that historians are still working on, and has had many demolishings and reconstructions in its time.