Anyone who is an admirer of William Shakespeare and/or his work, must make this a destination when you are in London. The Globe stands a few hundred yards from its original site. The rebuilding of the iconic building stems from the founding of the Shakespeare's Globe Trust by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker. The project to rebuild Shakespeare’s Globe was initiated by the American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker after his first visit to London in 1949. Twenty-one years later he founded what was to become the Shakespeare Globe Trust, dedicated to the reconstruction of the theater and the creation of an education center and permanent exhibition. After 23 years spent tirelessly fundraising, advancing research into the appearance of the original Globe and planning the reconstruction with the Trust’s architect Theo Crosby, Sam Wanamaker died in 1993, the site having been secured, the exhibition under-croft structurally complete and a few timber bays of the theater in place. Three and a half years later the theater was completed. What did the first Globe look like? Nobody knows for sure. All the same, the Globe itself was not a truly circular building. The archaeological excavation of the Rose Theatre in 1989 revealed what most scholars had long suspected, that the Elizabethan playhouses were polygonal buildings. In the same year, a small portion of the Globe itself was excavated, from which two important inferences were drawn: that it was a 20-sided building with a diameter of 100 feet. Techniques used in the reconstruction of the theater were painstakingly accurate. ‘Green’ oak was cut and fashioned according to 16th-century practice and assembled in two-dimensional bays on the Bankside site; oak laths and staves support lime plaster mixed according to a contemporary recipe and the walls are covered in a white lime wash. The roof is made of water reed thatch, based on samples found during the excavation. The stage is the most conjectural aspect of the reconstruction. Almost nothing survives from the period to suggest the appearance of this part of the theater. Its design was drawn from evidence provided by existing buildings of the period and practical advice offered by the actors and directors who participated in the 1995 ‘Workshop’ and 1996 ‘Prologue’ seasons. Other than concessions to comply with modern day fire regulations such as additional exits, illuminated signage, fire retardant materials and some modern backstage machinery, the Globe is as accurate a reconstruction of the 1599 Globe as was possible with the available evidence. The reconstruction is as faithful to the original as modern scholarship and traditional craftsmanship can make it, but for the time being this Globe is – and is likely to remain – neither more nor less than the ‘best guess’ at Shakespeare’s theater. Today, the Globe Theater has two functions. It is an actual producing theatre with a schedule of productions on its official website. It also house an exhibition that deals with William Shakespeare as well as the history of the actual Globe Theater. Tourist Information Opening Times (Exhibition and Tours) Exhibition Daily: 9:00am – 5:30pm Globe Theater Tours Monday: 9:30am – 5:00pm Tuesday – Saturday: 9:30am – 12:00pm Sunday: 9:30am – 11:30am Tours depart every 30 minutes. These times apply until 11 October 2014. All opening times are subject to change. PLEASE NOTE: As they are a working theater, the Exhibition and /or tours may occasionally not be available; or an alternative may be offered, due to events, rehearsals, and performances. Exhibition and Tour Tickets 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 You can also purchase tickets on their online site as E-Vouchers. For more info, check out the official site at the bottom. Theater Box Office To see the current showtimes, ticket prices, and seating preferences, check out the box office page below. For all of the current info such as current opening times, events, tickets, etc, check out the Globe Theater official website below! Cheers!
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