“See a play at Shakespeare’s Globe” – that’s been on my bucket list for quite some time. When my mother and I visited London, we decided it was something we had to do and so I finally got to see my play! We opted for Richard III, a new one for me.

While I was planning on just putting my experience in my London travel guide, I made a ton of notes on what to expect that it made more sense to make a separate blog post. So without further ado (about nothing), here’s some of what to expect for your visit to Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

TL;DR

• The Globe is a 1990s replica
• The summer performances are outside in the Globe and the winter performances are inside in the Sam Wannaker Playhouse
• The yard has cheap tickets but you have to stand the whole time
• The back rows of each gallery have seats with backs
• No you can’t change seats when you see an empty seat
• You can rent seat cushions
• Certain seats face the sun
• You can come and go as you please
• No dress code
• Food and drink is available for purchase and allowed in the theatre

Firstly – is Shakespeare’s Globe in London the Real Deal?

No. Actually, the current Globe in London is actually about as old as I am. But it was recreated with great accuracy.

The original was completed in 1599, and the round shape was common for theatres of that time period. It wasn’t the only playhouse but it was run by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, of which William Shakespeare himself was an active part. It burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt the following year. In 1642, theatres in London were forced to close due to religious concerns of the Puritans. The Globe was destroyed within the next 3 years, and that was the end of the “original” Globe Theatre.

London from Bankside by Wenceslaus Hollar (1647, based on earlier drawings)
It’s theorised that the bear-fighting ring (green) and the Globe (yellow) were labelled incorrectly and should be switched

Fast forward a few centuries to 1970, when American actor and director Sam Wanamaker founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust with the intent of rebuilding the Shakespeare’s Globe as it once stood. It took a long time for them to raise the proper funds and get the proper permissions to build it, but they finally did. They weren’t able to build the reconstruction exactly where the original was, but only a few hundred feet away.

The reconstruction had to be done through various sources since they didn’t exactly have a blueprint of the 1599 building. A lot of research went into finding all they could about the original playhouses, and filling in the gaps with information about other Shakespeare-era playhouses. To be as accurate as possible, construction was also done using Tudor era building methods. The theatre was finally opened in 1997.

What’s the Building Like?

Hiding amongst the modernity of London

Shakespeare’s Globe is a round theatre, a trademark of playhouses from the era. Except that’s not why it’s called the “Globe.” Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust words it perfectly:

By May 1599, the new theatre was ready to be opened. Burbage named it the Globe after the figure of Hercules carrying the globe on his back – for in like manner the actors carried the Globe’s framework on their backs across the Thames. A flag of Hercules with the globe was raised above the theatre with the Latin motto ‘totus mundus agit histrionem’, or ‘all the world’s a playhouse’.

To be technical, it’s 20 sided, but appears as a circle.

The theatre juts out into the crowd. The ground would’ve originally been ground but is now concrete – I’m assuming it has to do with comfort but also support. The main pillars are painted to look like marble and the top of the stage to resemble the heavens. The roof is actually thatched, which is a feature of the original 1599 playhouse.

The building has a ground level and two storeys on top of that with seating. The upstairs seats can be accessed via one of two staircases jutting out from the circular area. This feature is reminiscent of the 1614 theatre rather than the 1599 version. I’m guessing the stairs were too small or too in the way for it to be safe by today’s standards.

Today the Globe can hold about 1400 people, which is astounding when you consider it used to hold about 3000. The only information I can find on the subject is that “fire safety” is the reason for the discrepancy, so I’m guessing they used to cram everyone in there like Tudor sardines. Yikes!

Booking Your Tickets at Shakespeare’s Globe

During the winter months, plays at Shakespeare’s Globe are actually performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, which is based on indoor theatres of the 16th-17th century. To see a performance at the Globe, specifically, you will need to go during the warmer months. This is just how it was done in Shakespeare’s era.

The list of performances and schedules for the season go on sale during the winter. When we went, shows were announced and ticket sales started for the season in February. They generally have multiple performances each day and we didn’t have any trouble getting tickets. Book directly on the Shakespeare’s Globe website.

It’s important to note that your e-ticket will arrive a few days before the show. It is not sent to you automatically like other tickets.

Seat Selection

When selecting a seat, you can choose to stand in the yard – which is the cheapest option – or get a gallery seat. The yard has concrete poured on it so it’s not muddy and gross like it would’ve been in Shakespeare’s era, but of course you have to stand the whole time. The plays run in all weather so if it rains, you won’t be covered. And if seats on the lower gallery are empty, you still can’t sit there. Several people were trying to sit in empty gallery seats but they weren’t allowed in. So don’t plan on buying a cheap ticket to move to a more expensive zone.

The gallery seats have actual seats but not all of them have backs. The back rows of each gallery have backs. The other rows are backless benches. The seats are quite small, I’d say maybe around 12 inches, so that’s something else to keep in mind. Seat cushions are available for rent for a few pounds extra. You can reserve at the time of booking and I’m sure you can purchase the day of, too. The cushions are also thin, maybe an inch or two thick. The experience is supposed to be historically authentic so comfort is not of the utmost concern.

The website is excellent and very clear on what seats you’re buying. We got a restricted view ticket for cheaper and even though there was a pillar in the way we felt it didn’t take away from the performance. However everyone’s different, so it’s nice that they have that mentioned.

If you sit in the gallery, you can’t change your seat. We also saw some people try to change their seats to get better views since many places were empty, but they were told to go back to their purchased seat.

Also consider the sun. England isn’t always gloomy and it was very sunny when we saw the play. We were luckily in a good spot but the sunlight was right in many others’ eyes! If you’re looking out from the stage, the left side should be fine for afternoons/evenings but the middle and right sides may get more sun. I’ve attached an image from Google Earth with a clear visual of the sunlight and shadow patterns during the later part of the day.

Something weird to consider, but I remember thinking, “thank goodness we didn’t purchase tickets on the other side of the theatre or we wouldn’t be able to see anything!”

What to Expect During the Play

I don’t know why I was thinking the theatre would be filled with theatre enthusiasts, when Shakespeare’s Globe is more touristy and thus casts a wider net. It was so much more casual than plays I usually go to. There’s definitely no dress code (aside from wearing clothes, obviously). Food and drink is available for purchase and you can actually eat and drink during the performance, which I thought was nice. You are also allowed to come in and out as you please and you don’t need to wait for intermission.

Of course the laxness was a bit off-putting. People were coming in and out of the theatre constantly. There was no announcement for silencing cell phones and I think about six cell phones rang during the performance. I thought people would know that was inappropriate but I guess not. Some airplanes went by but they were surprisingly close and we couldn’t hear a few lines because of the sound.

These are some negatives but I’m being nitpicky for the people who might find these as dealbreakers. The distractions overall probably took up about 1 to 2 minutes of the show.

Some other miscellaneous things to note: programmes cost 5 pound and no photography is allowed during the performance but is allowed before/after/at intermission.

You can also see the exhibition at the theatre. We got there as it was closing but the one they had several years ago was excellent.

Overall…

There were some negative things but overall it was a great experience. Distractions were there but it maybe took up a total of 1 or 2 minutes from the show. Again we saw Richard III and it was an excellent performance. The plays themselves are not conventional to Shakespeare’s time in terms of costume, cast and script changes but in my experience they very rarely are. We thought the acting and overall production was excellent.

A big part of seeing a play at Shakespeare’s Globe is to relive history and have a different experience than you’re used to. The Globe certainly did that – so much so that I’m writing a full blog post just because the experience is so different. When can you eat and drink in a traditional theatre? When do you need to consider the sun and the rainfall when purchasing theatre tickets? Shakespeare’s Globe may be touristy but it’s something Shakespeare and history enthusiasts should try at least once.

When we’re in London next we’ll definitely consider seeing another play at the Globe.

Before you leave this page, pursued by a bear, be sure to drop your favorite Shakespeare play in the comments! I’m a fan of A Midsummer’s Night Dream and MacBeth performed but prefer to read Hamlet.

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