*I received two complimentary tickets to Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition and Tour for the purposes of review.
For the months of June and July, we don't have any trips planned.
London is typically at its best this time of year,
so we decided to stay home and explore our hometown instead of gallivanting off somewhere.
Not to mention our move to Blackheath in a few weeks.
There is so much to do in London, we will never get to it all.
I must have walked by it dozens of times as we've strolled along the south bank of the Thames.
This time we we got to stop and go in.
Our visit started with some time exploring the Exhibition.
It's not massive, but extremely informative and interesting.
It starts with the fascinating history of the area of Bankside.
Our tour guide later told us that
"Bankside was the Vegas of it's day."
With the City of London and the Tower on the North side of the river,
the south bank of the Thames is where everyone went for a party.
It was where Tudor London gathered at brothels, animal baiting pits, pubs and theatres
for a little debauchery and entertainment.
The Globe was one of those theatres. It was built in Shoreditch in 1576 and was the first
In 1598, after a legal dispute over the property, the theatre was moved south of the river and reopened.
In 1613, the theatre burned to the ground when the thatched roof caught fire during a performance (luckily no one was killed.) The Globe was rebuilt the next year and thrived until London's puritan leaders closed all theatres in 1642.
The second Globe was demolished in 1644.
300 years later, a young American actor and fan of Shakespeare, Sam Wanamaker
visited London eager to see the sight of the theatre where the great bard wrote and performed.
He was disappointed to find not much commemorating the spot.
Thus began his life-long ambition to rebuild Shakespeare's Globe.
Which is exactly what he did, just a short distance away from where the other once stood. Shakespeare's Globe was opened in 1997, sadly four years after Sam Wanamaker's death.
It now welcomes people from all over the world and is dedicated to arts and education.
After the history of the area and the theatre,
the exhibition took us through the history of the performances, costumes,
special effects, military props, instruments, sets and more.
They are dedicated to learning and preserving the original techniques used in Shakespeare's day.
I love the costumes. Often productions will use sets and costumes made entirely with 16th Century techniques. Which means these beautiful, elaborate works are all made painstakingly by hand using only materials that would have been available during the late 1500's.
Another favorite spot was the audio booths.
You stand in a small space and push a button to hear some of the greatest actors of our century recite some of Shakespeare's best lines. I just closed my eyes and soaked it up. I want one in my house. I would spend hours in there pushing buttons.
There is also a booth where you can record yourself reciting lines.
After walking through the exhibit for about an hour with our handy-dandy audiotours,
(I never get why people skip the audiotours. So much information and added fun.)
it was time to meet up with our guide for a tour of the the open air theatre.
Our guide was so friendly and obviously passionate about the theatre and Shakespeare.
He took us into the round theatre and told us all about the structure and how it was built.
He even recited a few lines of prose for us in his rich, booming stage voice.
There is just something about hearing Shakespeare in a British accent that makes it come to life.
(I'm obviously a sucker for a British accent.)
As you can see, the theatre is beautiful.
It has the only thatched roof in London built after the great fire.
It was only allowed because of new technology and flame retardant materials.
And see that flag? Back in the day, the theatres would hoist up tall flags
to let everyone know on the opposite bank of the river that they were open for business.
And the flag is flying high because the current season is running through October 13th.
Shakespeare's Globe is a working theatre
and the only way to visit the theatre and the exhibition is with a booked tour.
Be sure to check the schedule online before you go because
they sometimes have to adjust things around an event or performance.
Opening Hours
Monday
Exhibition: 9.00am – 5.30pm
Tours: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Tuesday – Saturday
Exhibition: 9.00am – 5.30pm
Tours: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Sunday
Exhibition: 9.00am – 5.30pm
Tours: 9.30am – 11.30am
Guided Tours depart every half an hour between the times shown.
These times apply from 22 April – 12 October 2013.
The Exhibition & Tour is open all year round except 24 & 25 December.
You don't need to pre-book. Tickets can be purchased at the admissions desk.
Exhibition and Globe Theatre Tour Prices
Note that this is just for the Tour and Exhibition not for the performances.
Adult: £13.50
Senior (60+): £12.00
Student (with valid ID): £11.00
Children (5-15): £8.00
Children (under 5): Free
Family (up to 2 adults & 3 children): £36.00
It's fantastic to see that the south bank has once again been restored
to a place where Londoners and tourists flock for fun and entertainment.
A stroll along the Thames path here is one of my favorite ways to spend a day.
And now I can not wait to see a performance at The Globe.
