I love Shakespeare’s Globe. There, I’ve said it. The Globe is, for my money, the most magical theatre in the whole of the UK, and a particularly fitting tribute to England’s greatest ever playwright, William Shakespeare.
The theatre may be closed right now, but that doesn’t mean you cannot visit the site. That’s because the Globe is now offering a completely brilliant 360 degree tour of the theatre. The Shakespeare’s Globe Virtual Tour is available from the Globe website or from the special 360 iOS app.
Full of breathtaking images of the historic building, the tour offers visitors an array of information about the history, heritage, and structure of the building as well as information on the previous theatres on the site.
You’ll learn about the history of the theatre (the current Globe is apparently the fourth iteration of the theatre), the architecture (the Globe’s thatched roof is apparently the only one in England) and the plays (Henry V was the first play performed at the Globe after it opened in 1997).
Shakespeare’s Globe opened in 1997 after a campaign by the American actor Sam Wanamaker. While on a trip to London in 1949, Wanamaker had been surprised to learn that the only monument in Southwark to William Shakespeare was a faded plaque on a factory wall. Wanamaker quickly resolved to build a more fitting monument to his hero.
As time went on, Wanamaker decided that this monument should be a new Globe theatre, built using the same materials, methods, and techniques as the Elizabethan original. Following a heroic struggle, that theatre opened its doors on the of June 1997.
If you decide to take the virtual tour of Shakespeare’s Globe, we’d like to request that you donate to the theatre. Shakespeare’s Globe receives no funding from the UK government and shorn of its revenue from tickets, the theatre is in a perilous position.
There are many other ways to help the Globe, from becoming a Friend, to buying gift vouchers for a future production. Whichever method you choose, you will be helping to keep one of the UK’s finest theatres alive for this and future generations.
The Shakespeare’s Globe Virtual Tour can be accessed here.
For other great ideas on things to do at home, please click here.
