Mini-Episode: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

In today's episode, we are talking about what might be the most famous theatre in the English-speaking world: The Globe Theatre, and what we know about what it would be like to be an audience member seeing a Shakespeare play at The Globe.

Kourtney Smith (KS): Welcome to a Shakespeare Anyone mini-episode! In these mini-episodes, we’ll be exploring topics that are related to Shakespeare but aren’t necessarily connected to whatever play we’ve been discussing. 

Elyse Sharp (ES): And they’re mini, because well, they’re shorter than our other episodes. They’re like quartos if the regular episodes are folio editions.  

KS: In today’s episode, we’ll cover the Globe Theatre and what we know about seeing theatre there.

ES: Perhaps one the most famous theatres in the Western world is the Globe Theatre, the theatre associated with William Shakespare. It was built in 1599 (seven years after the appearance of Shakespeare in London) by the Lord Chamberlain's Men’s playing company. Remember, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later known as the King’s Men) was the company Shakespeare worked with for the duration of his career.

KS: Examinations of old property records have identified the plot of land extending from the west side of modern-day Southwark Bridge Road eastwards as far as Porter Street and from Park Street southwards as far as the back of Gatehouse Square. Google Maps it to see for yourself! There’s a plaque to commemorate the original theatre.

ES: Now, why is there a plaque commemorating the original theatre you might ask? If you listened to the Intro Series, you already know that the original Globe Theatre was destroyed by a fire on June 29, 1613 when a theatrical cannon was set off, misfired and ignited the wooden beams and thatching. According to a surviving document of the event, no one was hurt except a man whose burning breeches were put out with a bottle of ale. How early modern. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site a year later, but it was closed by the Long Parliament’s Ordinance in 1642 that closed all theatres. It was subsequently pulled down in 1644 or 1645 to make room for tenements.

KS: Fast forward 350 years -- a modern reconstruction of the theatre, named “Shakespeare’s Globe” opened in 1997, and that is the one you can visit today. This reconstruction is an academic approximation of the original design based on available evidence of the 1599 and 1614 buildings. Shakespeare’s Globe is located 750 feet from the original site, on the Thames River in between the Millenium and Southwark Bridges.

ES: Now that we have laid the foundation (pun intended), let's flesh out the Globe’s origins.

KS: The Globe was built, like we said, in 1599. It was built using timber from an earlier theatre called The Theatre. The Theatre was the first public theatre in London, built by James Burbage, the father of one of Shakespeare’s company members, Richard Burbage, in 1575. The Burbages originally bought a 21-year lease on the site in Shoreditch. While they leased the site, they owned the building. And, like we mentioned in the Intro Series, the landlord, Giles Allen, claimed that the building had become his with the expiration of the lease. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, of course, did not agree.

ES: On December 28, 1598, carpenter Peter Street, with help from the players and their friends, dismantled the Burbage’s Theatre and transported it from Shoreditch to the Street’s waterfront warehouse. The material was ferried over the Thames to reconstruct it as The Globe in Southwark. The new theatre was larger, with older timbers being reused as part of the new structure. And, thus, the Globe Theatre was built.

KS: And, luckily, Southwark was a good place for a new theatre. For instance, it was outside of the control of the city officials who were hostile to theatres. And people already went there to be entertained. It had two theatres (the Rose and the Swan), animal baiting arenas, taverns and brothels. The Globe is sometimes referred to as “a theatre built by actors for actors”, to which author Bill Bryson writes there is a good deal in that. The Globe had the distinction in that it was designed exclusively for theatrical productions and took no earnings from cockfighting, bear baiting, or other entertainment.

ES: When the theatre opened, it was a huge success. It outshone its competitor, the Rose, the home of the Admiral’s Men. Fun fact: The Rose was built on boggy ground that made it dank and uncomfortable, so the Rose relocated across the river and built the Fortune. The Fortune is the only London theatre of the period for which architectural details exist, so most of our “knowledge” of the Globe is extrapolated from it.

KS: Up and running, the Globe was owned by six actor-shareholders of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Two of the shareholders, Richard and Cuthbert Burbage, owned double shares, or 25% each, making up 50%; the other four men, Shakespeare, John Heminges (editor of the First Folio), Augustine Phillips and Thomas Pope (possibly a Falstaff, Sir Toby, Mercutio and/or Shylock) owned a single share each at 12.5%. Despite Shakespeare’s popularity, his shares diminished over the course of his career.

ES: In addition to the shareholders of a theatre, there was one other person in early modern England that had a financial stake in every theatre of the times: the Master of Revels. An executive officer in the royal court  under the office of the Lord Chamberlain, the Master of Revels oversaw all royal activities and was responsible for stage censorship, aka decided what could and could not be produced on the public stage in London. In order to be able to produce plays, theatres would pay a licensure fee to the Master of Revels. Some theatres would also pay an additional monthly fee to the Master of Revels as insurance that their plays would be licensed. For the majority of Shakespeare’s career, this position was held by one man: Sir Edmund Tylney. Tylney was known to judiciously restrict playwrights (specifically in regards to politically violent scenes or themes); but he also protected theatres from hostile civic authorities who sought to shut down public drama in the city.  

KS: Now let’s talk about the architectural features of the Globe. What did it look like?

ES: The Globe’s actual dimensions are unknown, but its shape and size can be approximated from scholarly inquiry over the last two centuries. Evidence suggests that it was a three-storey, open-air amphitheater approximately 100 feet in diameter that could house over 3,000 audience members. The Globe is depicted as round on Wenceslas Hollar’s 1644 sketch of the building. However, the uncovering of a small part of the Globe’s foundation in 1988 and ‘89 suggest it was actually a polygon of 20 sides.

KS: Inside the theatre, actors performed on a thrust stage that projected out into the large circular yard where the groundlings stood. The stage was raised three or four feet and supported by large pillars. While the yard was open-air, the stage was covered by a roof. The ceiling under this roof was called the “Heavens” and was painted with clouds and the sky. A selection of ropes and rigging would allow for special effects. A trap door under the stage called “Hell'', allowed performers to descend under the stage using a rope and harness. Theatres also employed a variety of special effects. In addition to the aforementioned cannon, pyrotechnics were used to create thunder (like we mentioned in our Macbeth: Tyranny & Treason episode). The stage was set in the southeast corner of the building, so it would be shady during performances in the summer.

ES: The back wall of the stage had two or three doors on the main level with a curtained inner stage in the center that may or may not have existed (scholars debate the existence of this inner stage). There was a balcony above the wall of doors that housed the musicians, as well as scenes requiring an upper space. (Think Romeo and Juliet). The doors all entered into the “tiring house”, or the backstage, where actors dressed. There was also a backstage on the second floor that could have been used as storage for costumes and props or management offices.

KS: Early modern sets were simplistic by today’s standards, often as simple as a chair or a bed brought onto the stage. Costumes carried symbolic meaning to an Elizabethan actor without a set. The cloak of a nobleman or the regalia of a king or a beautiful dress was responsible for communicating to the audience. Despite the strict sumptuary laws that governed life outside of a theatre, theatres were allowed to maintain an inventory of clothing that the actors would not be allowed to wear out on the street. Costumes were likely made by the company or donated by wealthy noble patrons. Based on contemporary records of another theatre company, we can tell that theatre companies of the time created unique costumes for each show and stored the costumes as a set which would keep them easily accessible when the show was eventually reprised. 

ES: At the base of the stage, there was an area called  the pit or yard. This is the standing-room area surrounding the three sides of the stage where the groundlings would pay a penny to watch (or hear) a play. That ‘88-’89 excavation uncovered a layer of nutshells pressed into the dirt flooring that formed into a new surface layer, confirming what we know: that nuts and oranges were sold by concessions, often by roving salespeople. In this sense, the theatre does sound more like a baseball game.

KS: For another penny, Shakespeare’s audience could stand in the stadium-style gallery area that surrounded the open-air standing-room yard. This ensured that you had a roof over your head. For another penny, you could have a cushioned seat in the gallery. The gallery was three levels high and had rows of wooden seats. Gallery seats were accessed from the back corridor and had a roof that offered shelter from whatever the summer weather had in store for London. In addition, sitting down is a perk when you consider a full performance of Hamlet runs over four hours! 

ES: Like we mentioned in the Intro Series, there were additional balconies above the stage wall that were called the Lord’s Rooms. For sixpence, rich audience members, the upper classes and nobility could sit and be seen. Despite the poor view of the play, they were considered the best seats in the theatre. Additional balconies on the left and right of the Lord’s Rooms were called the Gentleman’s Rooms. This is why I love comparing the Globe to modern day sports arenas: this sounds a lot like box seats!

KS: These audience members would have been able to see some of Shakespeare’s best works -- Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Macbeth. The first performance at the Globe is a topic up for debate. Some think it was Henry V with its famous reference to the “wooden O”. Many others agree with Renaissance scholar Dover Wilson that it was Julius Caesar, citing Swiss tourist Thomas Platter’s full account of the production. Bill Bryson notes that we are much indebted to Platter and his diary for a lot of what we know about Elizabethan theatrical performances in London--and it is all the more ironic that he spoke almost no English.

ES: Now that the Globe is up and running, let’s talk about the Globe’s company and players.

KS: We’ve already mentioned in a blanketed statement that the Globe Theatre was owned and run by Shakespeare’s troupES: the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s Men, respectively. How did this troupe come to be? Well, the Lord Chamberlain's Men was founded under the patronage of Henry Carey, the Lord Chamberlain, who was in charge of court entertainments. Carey died in 1596, so patronage came under Carey’s son who, in turn, also became the Lord Chamberlain. The company became the King’s Men in 1603 when King James I ascended to the throne and became the company’s patron.

ES: The success of the company was in large part thanks to the Burbage family. You’ve already heard the names James, Richard and Cuthbert Burbage. James Burbage, father and founder of The Theatre, was an actor, builder and theatre maker. He was a former member of Leicster’s Men, patronized by Elizabeth’s favorite Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Professional actors owe a huge thanks to Burbage for the rights of professional actors. Burbage led the first group of actors to be protected under the 1572 statute against rogues and vagabonds.

KS: At their inception, the players performed at Burbage’s theatre, The Theatre, in Shoreditch, until, as we mentioned, it was moved over the Thames River and renamed The Globe. The Chamberlain’s Men’s roster while at the Globe included the six sharers we mentioned, perhaps an equal number of hired men who acted minor and doubled parts, and a smaller number of boy actors who were sometimes apprenticed until adulthood. Many of the sharers and hired men both came out of dismantled acting companies, like Leicster’s Men and Strange’s Men.

ES: In 1603, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men became the King’s Men. There is documented turnover from the 1594 iteration in The Theatre to the 1599 Globe and, finally, to the 1614 reconstruction. For the sake of time, here are some 1599 company members:

KS: Principal shareholder and lead actor Richard Burbage, who performed Henry V, Brutus, Hamlet and Othello; shareholder John Heminges, who probably played Caesar and Polonius; shareholder Augustine Phillips, who played Bolbroke and was a key figure in the Essex Rebellion; principal comedian Henry Condell; principal comedian William Sly, who may have played Osric in Hamlet; comic actor and author Robert Armin, who replaced Will Kemp as principal clown, inheriting Dogberry, Touchstone, and Feste; actor John Sincler, who played Beadle in Henry IV, Slender in Merry Wives and Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night; comedian Richard Cowley who played Verges in Much Ado; and actor Alexander Cook, listed as principal female lead in the First Folio. And, of course, playwright, actor and shareholder William Shakespeare who played minor roles like Old Adam and Young Adam in As You Like It and the Ghost in Hamlet.

ES: Early modern theatre companies were always entirely male companies. All of the great and minor female parts were played by boy actors. They were talented actors between the ages of twelve and twenty. They were evidently gifted at portraying the life, manner and impression of a woman. The standard of boy actors playing women and girls was so ingrained that when Englishmen traveled abroad to Venice in the late sixteenth and seventeenth-century, they remarked how amazing it was that the women were good at playing women’s parts, almost as good as the boy actors in London! Wow!

KS: And these actors performed to a different audience from today. What was that like?

ES: Like we said in the Intro Series, actors and audiences in Shakespeare’s time did not have the same expectations for theatre conduct as a modern audience. Audiences were rowdier and got directly involved in the show. Plays were performed during the daytime, so early modern actors and audiences got to see each other and interact during a play. That means Shakespeare’s soliloquies would be said directly to the audience--and the audience would answer back. They would move around, buy food and ale, clap, boo, or cheer. They might dance at the end of the comedies with the characters on-stage. In a worst-case-scenario, they might throw projectiles if they didn’t like the play.

KS: This meant it was essential that an early modern playwright learn how to accommodate the logistics, as well as please his (remember, they’d only be men) audience. Luckily, Shakespeare had tricks up his sleeve. For example, he rarely begins a play with a main character. Since lights could not dim to indicate the beginning of a play, he would have minor characters walk onstage and begin to speak, usually over the audience’s noise, as they settled to watch the play. The first scene would set the mood of the play, but the opening dialogue would not be vital because it might not be easily heard.

ES: Another trick Shakespeare used was to break up the main action of the play with clowning. In most of his plays, there is comic relief in the form of “clown” or “fool” characters sprinkled throughout the show, making jokes or clowning around onstage. Think the Porter in Macbeth or the Gravediggers in Hamlet. This ensured that even a 3-hour history play would appeal to everyone.

KS: Nowadays, Shakespeare’s Globe in London is the best way to experience Shakespeare’s plays like an early modern audience member. I​​n 1970, American actor and director Sam Wanamaker set out to build a faithful recreation close to its original location. The reconstruction was carefully researched to be as faithful a replica of the original as possible. Typically, performances have been created in the spirit of experimentation to explore the original playing conditions of the 1599 Globe.

ES: For being such a famous theatre, it’s unthinkable that it only had a 43 year life span. But, for Shakespeare, this period marked bursts of brilliance that have lasted 400 years.

KS: And that’s the Globe Theatre!

ES: Thank you for listening to this episode.

Quote of the Episode:

ES: From Hamlet, act five, scene one, said by Hamlet, “And smelt so? Pah!”

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith".

Episode written and researched by Kourtney Smith.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

Works referenced:

Alchin, L.K. “Globe Theatre Interior.” Elizabethan Era, Siteseen Ltd., Accessed on 16 May 2012 from http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/globe-theatre-interior.htm. 

Bryson, Bill. “Ch. 6 Years of Fame 1596-1603.” Shakespeare: The World as Stage, Atlas Books, New York, 2016, pp. 124–127. 

“Globe Theatre.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Aug. 2021, Accessed on 25 Aug. 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_Theatre. 

Henslowe, Philip. The diary of Philip Henslowe, from 1591 to 1609. Printed from the original manuscript preserved at Dulwich college. London, Shakespeare Society, 1845.

No Sweat Shakespeare. Lord Chamberlain's Men and King's Men Company Member Timeline. Instagram, 29 August 2021, https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKPYXxr7Y6/?utm_medium=copy_link.

“Who Were These People? Audiences in Shakespeare's Day.” Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Shakespeare Company, 23 Jan. 2018, Accessed on 27 Aug. 2021 from https://www.seattleshakespeare.org/who-were-these-people/.