Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London Photo Tour

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The reconstructed Globe was built exactly as it would have appeared over 400 years ago. The Globe Theatre is the site where most of the Bard's plays were originally performed.

Historical Background

Built in 1599 by Cuthbert Burbage in Southwark, a district of London, the Globe Theatre became the location where many of Shakespeare's most renowned plays were first performed. In 1613, three years before the Bard's death, the firing of a canon during a production of Henry VIII set the dry thatched roof of the theatre on fire, completely destroying the original building.

The Globe was rebuilt in less than a year but its new lease on life was short lived. In one of the most troubled periods of British history, Oliver Cromwell assumed control of Parliament, removed the king from power and declared himself Lord Protector. Cromwell believed that theatres promoted sinful behavior and ordered his loyal puritan army (known as roundheads) to force every theatre in the country to close its doors. The Globe, being a prominent landmark in London, became a victim of the times and was subsequently destroyed to make way for tenements.