Shakespeare’s Globe in London
In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson once wrote, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Described by some as the most distinguished man of letters in the history of England, he was a teacher and poet, an essayist, literary critic, and editor, and moved to London where he wrote the Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755, about 255 years ago. This book was considered one of the greatest single achievements in scholarship, a work that existed as the prime English dictionary until the Oxford English Dictionary was written 150 years later. Johnson also wrote a good deal about another man who lived approximately a hundred years before him — William Shakespeare, whose contributions to literature undoubtedly helped turn London into a place that offered “all that life can afford.”
Shakespeare performed his plays in a venue known as the Theatre, owned by James Burbage, the first building to be built as a playhouse in London. Shakespeare became resident member of the troupe there and the company survived in that spot for 20 years. However, when Burbage died in 1597 and the lease expired on the Theatre (known then as the King’s Men), the players leased a plot near the Rose, which was a rival theatre company in Southwark, demolished the old theatre and rebuilt the Globe using its timbers. The Globe had a run of 14 years and presented most of Shakespeare’s best plays.
In 1949, when a man named Sam Wanamaker arrived in London for the first time, he discovered there was no lasting memorial to Shakespeare and his theatre. Twenty years later, he developed the Shakespeare Globe Trust, which, eventually, in 1997 allowed for the recreation of the Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames.
Theatre lovers who have booked a hotel in London will not only want to see the West End, but also visit the South Bank for an evening’s entertainment, and see Shakespeare as it was performed centuries ago. The Globe also has exhibits about Shakespeare and the theatre of his time.
The Shakespeare Globe Trust strives to create an international reputation for the excellence of its productions of Shakespeare, and to become a focal point and resource for the study of the Bard’s plays in performance. This summer, the Scottish play, MacBeth, may be seen until June 26th; Henry VIII is available until August 21st, and Henry the IV, Part I may be seen until October 2nd; while Henry IV, Part II will be presented from July 3rd to October 3rd; The Merry Wives of Windsor will be onstage, too, from August 14th to October 2nd.
Even after 255 years, Samuel Johnson’s words about London remain true as ever; certainly, as long as Shakespeare is still performed.
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