Fantastic experience! Here's why.
The tour is a good introduction to the history of the Globe Theater. It lasts around 45 minutes. We went inside the theater during the time the stage crew were setting up for this afternoon's performance.
They were extending the stage in the shape of a cross. You can see that cross in the picture below.
Here is a better view of the extended stage right before the play started.
In 1613 the 1st theater burned down due to a special effect of cannon fire during a performance of Henry VIII. Not too smart to try a real cannon in a wooden theater with a thatched roof.
The 2nd Globe Theater was built soon after the fire. This time it had a tiled roof. This theater stayed open until 1642 when the Puritan administration in England closed down all theaters. It was demolished in 1644.
This 3rd Globe Theater was completed in 1997 after 3 1/2 years of construction. It is on a different site from the previous theaters. American actor Sam Wanamaker initiated the project. There was much conjecture on the look of the theater as not much primary source material was found on the 1st and 2nd Globe Theaters. Some ruins of the 2nd theater remain buried underneath a permanent structure and cannot be presently dug up.
The Globe Theater in Shakespeare's day was in direct competition with 2 other nearby playhouses - the Rose and the Swan. A lot more is known about the look of the Rose Theater as they had access to dig around that area.
The South Bank,where Shakespeare's Globe was located, was a baudy area of London during Shakespeare's time. There were ale houses, inns, brothels, and bull and bear baiting arenas. At the time it was a guy's hangout. It was no doubt that Shakespeare got inspiration for some of his characters from the guys hanging out in these entertainment houses. No wonder the Puritans wanted to close down the area!
The Lords' boxes in the theater were located directly to the left and right of the stage. They were places to be "seen" and not necessarily places to see well (the action of the play). They had the luxury of padded seats, unlike the hard wooden seats of the commoners. Some of the Lords donated their gently used clothing to the actors for their costumes. The wearing of these princely clothes by the actors was not allowed outside the theater upon penalty of arrest. Here is a photo of one of the Lords' boxes, directly to the side of the stage on the first balcony level (behind the column).
In Shakespeare's day it cost 1 penny to stand during the play on the area in front of the stage. You were not allowed to sit down. You could lean on someone or something however. The poorer people chose that option. There were no outhouses around, so you might be standing in dung and urine. Better to stand than sit in it!
Here is a photo of the balcony area of the stage that is used for balcony scenes.
We attended the Shakespeare play Richard II and this balcony was used in the scene where Richard is speaking with Bolingbroke about Richard's future as king (pretty dismal for Richard at this point).
The performance of Richard II was spectacular. They used limited scenery as was common in Shakespeare's day. The acting was very riveting. The star of the show as Richard II was Charles Edwards (aka Michael Gregson of Downton Abbey). I could not get Gregson out of my head that easily when he was acting. It is the danger of watching a lot of Downton Abbey, I suppose.
Finally here is a photo from outside the current Globe Theater.
I highly recommend a visit to the Globe Theater for the tour, the exhibit (self-guided) and a performance. Make sure to check out the indoor theater at the Globe Theater as well (called the Sam Wanamaker Theater) for tours and shows. I hear that is good too. We did not have time to check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment