Shakespeare Theater - Globe, first appearance and revival. Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The Globe Theater is one of the oldest London theaters (built in 1599), located on the south bank of the Thames.

The history of the famous theater was accomplished in three stages: in 1599, the first building of the Globe Theater was built at the expense of the troupe of actors Lord Chamberlain’s Men, to which William Shakespeare belonged, which was destroyed by fire on June 29, 1613. A year later, in June 1614 (when Shakespeare had already left London for Stratford), the theater building was restored and lasted until 1642. And, finally, in 1997, the modern building of the Globe Theater was opened, recreated according to the descriptions and parts of the foundation found during archaeological excavations. True, the new building is located at a distance of 200 meters from the original location of the theater.

The first "Globe" was a typical public theater of the early 17th century: an oval room resembling a Roman amphitheater in shape, enclosed by a high wall, without a roof. The theater got its name from the statue of Atlanta standing at the entrance, supporting the globe, called the globe. The globe was encircled by a ribbon with an inscription in Latin: Totus mundus agit histrionem ("The whole world is acting", or in a more familiar translation - "The whole world is a theater").

The auditorium of the first "Globe" accommodated, according to various sources, from 1200 to 3000 people. The performances went on in broad daylight, under the endless noise of the voices of the audience, loudly exchanging remarks. The Globe Theater was very popular due in large part to the fact that all the plays of Shakespeare and other prominent playwrights of that era were staged on its stage. In 1613, during the premiere of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, a fire broke out in the theater: a stage cannon accidentally set fire to the thatched roof over the stage, and the theater burned to the ground. The tragic end of the first Globe also marked the change of literary and theatrical eras: around the same time, Shakespeare stopped writing plays, said goodbye to the theater world and left for Stratford.

Tickets to Shakespeare's Globe Theater

The modern building, erected in 1997, is an exact copy of Shakespeare's first Globe Theatre. Part of its auditorium is also open-air, so the theatrical season on this stage lasts from May 19 to September 20.

The very first Globe began operating in 1599, and it was built on the south side of the Thames, away from the municipal authorities, who did not really like places like the theater. Now the Globe Theater is located at New Globe Walk, 21. To get here, it is advisable to use the nearest metro stations Blackfriars and Southwark. Entrance to the theater is paid, the cost of standing places is 5 pounds.

The history of the theater and its actors

The Globe Theater is considered to be the very first theater in London. Before him, there was another theater on this site, which was called the Theater, but it was destroyed, and the Globe was built in the same place and from its own materials.

The first director of the theater was Richard Burbage. He was born into an acting family, his father owned the first public theater in London. Richard, according to the reviews of viewers and critics, was an excellent actor who knew how to transform into his characters truthfully and emotionally. Glory came to Burbage when he began to play Shakespeare's plays in the troupe of the Lord Chamberlain. The acquaintance of Richard Burbage and Shakespeare gave rise to the idea to organize his own theater. The official owner of the Globe was Richard, together with his brother they owned half of it. Shakespeare owned 12%, the rest was distributed among the other 3 actors.

Initially, the Globe was a round platform surrounded by a low wall with balconies for spectators. It was on this site that the performances took place. There were no scenery here either, instead of them special signs were placed that indicated the time and place of this scene.

In 1613, during the performance of Henry VIII, the theater burned to the ground. It was rebuilt a year later, but did not last long, since puritanical sentiments in the country did not favor such establishments. The globe was demolished and a residential building was built in its place.

A New History of the Modern Globe

The new Globe was rebuilt according to found drawings, sketches and drawings, but 200 meters from the first building. It happened at the initiative of the famous director from the USA Sam Wenamaker. For more than three years he has been raising funds for the renewal of this world cultural property. The sketching and planning team included renowned architect and planner Theo Crosby and Buro Happold. On most issues, they were advised by art historian Andrew Herr.

The new theater was opened in 1997. It is clear that the construction was not without innovations, but the builders and architects tried to make the theater as original as possible. Here, as before, there are 3 tiers of hanging balconies, and all the places near the stage are only standing. The modern theater has a backstage, scenery, fire extinguishing systems, and lighting. It is interesting that the roof in the theater is thatched, the same as the first Globe originally had. That's what caused the fire.

The theater is designed for 1300 spectators, with 700 standing places, although in reality the theater can accommodate about 3000 visitors. Since the roof only covers the stage, performances can only take place during the warm season. In winter, the premises are used for teaching acting skills to students of universities, colleges, etc.

Repertoire of the Globe Theater

The world fame of the Globe is confirmed by its copies around the world. There are similar theaters in the USA, Germany and Italy.

The main repertoire of the theater is Shakespeare's plays, which is why the Globe is called Shakespeare's theater. By the way, next to the Globe there is a small museum that contains information about the life and work of the writer, his works and personal items. Together with theater actors, you can experience the plays The Taming of the Shrew, Henry IV, Hamlet, King Lear and others. The last years of his life, W. Shakespeare did not participate in the life of the theater, and after his death, his acting friends published the first collection of works by the great writer, which included 36 works. It must be said that Shakespeare's best dramatic plays were completed and improved right within the walls of the Globe, during rehearsals.

To get to the performance, you need to pre-book tickets on the website, or purchase the day before. The theater is open from May to October, but tourists can view it all year round. The time of performances in the theater often changes, so it needs to be clarified. The Globe is both a museum, a theater and the heart of the cultural life of the British capital.

One of the oldest theaters in England, the Globe is a public theater in London. It was active from 1599 to 1644. In the "Globe" until 1642, the troupe "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain" played, headed by the main actor of this theater, the tragedian R. Burbage. The name of this troupe is associated with the work of Shakespeare - his dramatic and acting activities. It was the staging of the works of Shakespeare and other playwrights of the Renaissance that made this theater one of the most important centers of the country's cultural life.

It was at this time (since the 16th century) that the performing arts turned from amateur into professional. Troupes of actors arise, leading at first a wandering existence. They move from city to city, giving performances at fairs and in hotel yards. Philanthropy began to develop. Representatives of wealthy aristocratic families accepted actors into their servants - this gave them an official social position, albeit an extremely low one. Actors were considered servants of some nobleman. This position of the actors was fixed in the names of the troupes - "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain", "Servants of the Lord Admiral", "Servants of Lord Hendson". When James I came to the throne, the right to patronize troupes was granted only to members of the royal family. Accordingly, the troupes were renamed "Servants of His Majesty the King" or "Servants of His Highness the Crown Prince", etc.

Theater in England from the very beginning is formed as a private enterprise - it is run by entrepreneurs. They built theatrical buildings, which they rented out to acting troupes. For this, the owner received a large share of the proceeds from the performances. But there were also acting partnerships on shares. On such principles the life of the troupe, in which Shakespeare was a member, was built. Not all the actors of the troupe were shareholders - the poorer actors were on a salary and did not participate in the division of income. Such was the position of actors in secondary roles and teenagers who played female roles.

Each troupe had its own playwrights who wrote plays for it. The connection of the authors with the theater was very close. It was the author who explained to the actors how the play should be staged. The financial situation of the playwrights, who worked for entrepreneurs and lived only on literary earnings, was quite difficult. The actor-shareholder and playwright Shakespeare was able to achieve more favorable conditions for his work. In addition, he had patrons. He received significant sums from the Earl of Southampton. But in general, the work of the playwright was valued low and poorly paid.

Banquet halls in the palaces of the king and the nobility, courtyards of hotels, as well as grounds for baiting bears and cockfights also served as a place for theatrical performances. Special theater premises appeared in the last quarter of the 16th century. The construction of permanent theaters was started by James Burbage, who in 1576 built a theater performance room, which he called the Theater. In London, since the end of the 16th century, there have been three types of theaters - court, private and public. They differed in the composition of the audience, in the device, repertoire and style of playing.

Theaters for the general public were built in London mainly outside the City, that is, outside the jurisdiction of the London municipality, which was explained by the puritanical spirit of the bourgeoisie, which was hostile to the theater in general. City theaters were of two types. These theaters had no roof. In most cases, they were round in shape. The Globe Theater was octagonal. Its auditorium was an oval platform surrounded by a high wall, along the inside of which there were lodges for the aristocracy. Above them was a gallery for wealthy citizens. Spectators stood around three sides of the site. Some privileged spectators sat on the stage itself. The theater could accommodate up to 2000 people. Everyone was charged at the entrance. Those who wished to take a seat in the gallery paid extra for it, as did the spectators who sat on the stage. The latter should have paid the most. The performances were performed in daylight, without intermissions and almost without scenery. The stage had no curtain. Its distinguishing feature was the proscenium that protruded strongly forward and a balcony in the back - the so-called upper stage, where the action of the play was also played out. The stage platform went into the auditorium - the audience surrounded it from three sides. Behind the stage were the dressing rooms, stores of props and costumes. The stage was a platform about one meter high above the floor of the auditorium. From the artistic room there was an entrance under the stage, where there was a hatch through which "ghosts" appeared (for example, the shadow of Hamlet's father) and where sinners destined for hell fell through (like Faust in Marlowe's tragedy). The proscenium was empty. Tables, chairs, etc. were brought here as needed, but for the most part the stage of the English theater was free of props. The stage was divided into three parts: front, back and top. There were three doors at the back, where the actors entered and exited. Above the back stage was a balcony - in Shakespeare's chronicles, characters appeared on the balcony and were assumed to be on the castle wall. The upper stage was a podium or depicted Juliet's bedroom. Above the upper stage was a building called the "hut". It was shaped like a house. There were one or two windows here, which served for those scenes where, in the course of the action, the characters spoke from the window, like Juliet in the second act of the tragedy. When a performance began in the theater, a flag was hung on the roof of the hut - it was far visible and served as an identification sign that a performance was being given in the theater. In the 20th century, directors will return more than once to the principles of the poor and ascetic theater of Shakespeare's time, even to the point of experimenting with placing spectators on the stage.

There were very few written scenery in the Globe Theatre. The theater helped the viewer to understand what was happening, hanging, for example, signs with inscriptions - with the name of the play, with the designation of the scene. Much in this theater was conditional - the same place depicted one part of the field, then another, then the square in front of the building, then the room inside it. It was mainly from the speeches of the heroes that the spectators judged the change of scene. The external poverty of the theater demanded from the public an active perception of the performance - playwrights, including Shakespeare, counted on the imagination of the audience. For example, Shakespeare's play "Henry V" included the image of the palaces of the English and French kings, battles and battles of two large armies. They could not show this on stage, because Shakespeare directly addressed the audience:

Forgive me, gentlemen, if the mind is weak
Decided on such pitiful stages
Depict such a high subject!
Like here, where the roosters only fit to beat,
Fit the plains of France? Ile get bored
Here in the wooden "O" there are at least helmets,
Causing a thunderstorm near Azincourt?
Excuse me! But if next to the numbers
In a tiny space, millions
It is possible to depict, then let
And to us, insignificant zeros in the total amount,
Multiply the power of imagination in you!

Can you imagine that within these walls
Two powerful states are concluded...
Fill up all our shortcomings
With your fantasy...

The theater nurtured the imagination of the public, trusted it, and it did not demand the full materialization of everything that it heard from the mouths of the actors. It can be argued that the acting art of the era was at a high level. All the brilliant dramaturgy of Shakespeare would have remained invaluable if the actors had not been able to convey it to the audience. One can recall the words of Hamlet (his instruction to the actors), when he demands to pronounce a monologue in “easy language”, and not to bawl, he demands “not to cut the air with your hands”: “It revolts my soul when I hear how a hefty, shaggy fellow tears passion into shreds, down to tatters, and tears the ears of the stalls..." Shakespeare's plays demanded naturalness from the actor, when every passion must know its measure and conform every action with speech.

In 1613, the wooden building burned down, and the Globe Theater was again rebuilt from stone. In 1644, the Globe building was demolished by order of the Puritan Parliament.

And only in 1971, the American film director and actor Sam Wanamaker tried to find the foundation of the Shakespeare theater and began to rebuild the building.

Work on this project continued for more than 25 years; Wanamaker himself died in 1993, nearly four years before the remodeled Globe opened.

In 1997 a new "Globe" was built. The modern building, accommodating 1400 spectators, is a skillful reconstruction of a round wooden theater from the Elizabethan era.

Today, under the London sky, the words of Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies are heard from a round wooden platform.

Since the theater building has no roof, performances are held only in spring and summer. However, tours in the oldest London theater "Globe" are held daily.

Next to the restored Globe, a theme park-museum dedicated to Shakespeare has been opened. There is the world's largest exhibition dedicated to the great playwright; various thematic entertainment events are organized for visitors: here you can try to write a sonnet yourself; watch a sword fight, and even take part in a production of a Shakespearean play.

THEATER "GLOBE" (GLOBE), one of the oldest London theaters located on the south bank of the Thames.

The glorious history of the Globe Theater began in 1599, when in London, which was distinguished by a great love for theatrical art, buildings of public public theaters were built one after another. During the construction of the Globe, building materials were used that were left over from the dismantled building of the very first public London theater (it was called the Theatre). The owners of the building, the Burbages' troupe of famous English actors, had their land lease expired; so they decided to rebuild the theater in a new place. The leading playwright of the troupe, W. Shakespeare, who by 1599 became one of the shareholders of the Burbage Theater "Servants of the Lord Chamberlain", was undoubtedly involved in this decision.

Theaters for the general public were built in London mainly outside the City, i.e. - Outside the jurisdiction of the City of London. This was explained by the puritanical spirit of the city authorities, who were hostile to the theater in general. The Globe was a typical building of a public theater of the early 17th century: an oval room in the form of a Roman amphitheater, enclosed by a high wall, without a roof. The theater got its name from the statue of Atlanta that adorned its entrance, supporting the globe. This globe (“globe”) was surrounded by a ribbon with the famous inscription: “The whole world is acting” (lat. Totus mundus agit histrionem; better known translation: “The whole world is a theater”).

The stage adjoined the back of the building; above its deep part rose the upper stage platform, the so-called. "gallery"; even higher was the "house" - a building with one or two windows. Thus, there were four scenes in the theater: the proscenium, which protruded deeply into the hall and was surrounded by the audience on three sides, on which the main part of the action was played out; the deep part of the stage under the gallery, where interior scenes were played; a gallery that was used to depict a fortress wall or a balcony (here the ghost of Hamlet's father appeared or the famous scene on the balcony in Romeo and Juliet); and a "house", in the windows of which actors could also be shown. This made it possible to build a dynamic spectacle, laying in the dramaturgy a variety of scenes and changing the points of the audience's attention, which helped to maintain interest in what was happening on the set. This was extremely important: we must not forget that the attention of the auditorium was not supported by any auxiliary means - the performances were staged in daylight, without a curtain, under the continuous hum of the audience, animatedly exchanging impressions in full voice.

The auditorium of the "Globe" accommodated, according to various sources, from 1200 to 3000 spectators. It is impossible to establish the exact capacity of the hall - there were no seats for the bulk of the common people; they crowded into the stalls, standing on the earthen floor. Privileged spectators were located with some conveniences: on the inside of the wall there were lodges for the aristocracy, above them there was a gallery for the wealthy. The richest and noblest sat on the sides of the stage, on portable three-legged stools. There were no additional facilities for spectators (including toilets); physiological needs, if necessary, were easily coped with, during the performance - right in the auditorium. Therefore, the absence of a roof could be regarded more as a blessing than as a drawback - the influx of fresh air did not allow devoted fans of theatrical art to suffocate.

However, such simplicity of morals fully met the then rules of etiquette, and the Globe Theater very soon became one of the main cultural centers of England: all the plays of W. Shakespeare and other outstanding playwrights of the Renaissance were staged on its stage.

However, in 1613, during the premiere of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, there was a fire in the theater: a spark from a stage cannon shot hit the thatched roof above the deep part of the stage. Historical evidence claims that there were no casualties in the fire, but the building burned to the ground. The end of the “first Globe” symbolically marked the change of literary and theatrical eras: around this time, W. Shakespeare stopped writing plays.

Soon the building was rebuilt, already from stone; the thatched ceiling above the deep part of the stage was replaced with a tiled one. Burbage's troupe continued to play in the "Second Globe" until 1642, when a decree was issued by the Puritan Parliament and Lord Protector Cromwell to close all theaters and prohibit any theatrical entertainment. In 1644, the empty “second Globe” was rebuilt into a rental building. The history of the theater was interrupted for more than three centuries.

The idea of ​​the modern reconstruction of the Globe Theater belongs, oddly enough, not to the British, but to the American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker. He came to London for the first time in 1949, and for about twenty years, together with his like-minded people, bit by bit collected materials about the theaters of the Elizabethan era. By 1970, Wanamaker had established the Shakespeare Globe Trust, designed to renovate the lost theatre, create an educational center and permanent exhibition. Work on this project continued for more than 25 years; Wanamaker himself died in 1993, nearly four years before the remodeled Globe opened. The excavated fragments of the foundation of the old Globe, as well as the nearby Rose Theater, where Shakespeare's plays were staged in the "pre-Globus" times, became a landmark for the reconstruction of the theater. The new building was built from "green" oak wood, processed in accordance with the traditions of the 16th century. and is located almost in the same place as before - the new one is 300 meters away from the old Globus. The careful reconstruction of the exterior is combined with the modern technical equipment of the building.

The new Globus was opened in 1997. Since, according to historical realities, the new building was built without a roof, performances are held only in spring and summer. However, tours in the oldest London theater "Globe" are held daily. Already in this century, next to the restored Globe, a theme park-museum dedicated to Shakespeare was opened. There is the world's largest exhibition dedicated to the great playwright; various thematic entertainment events are organized for visitors: here you can try to write a sonnet yourself; watch a sword fight, and even take part in a production of a Shakespearean play.

Tatyana Shabalina

The Globe Theater is a famous theater in London associated with the great William Shakespeare.

The Globe was erected in 1599 using timber structures belonging to an earlier theatre, simply called the Theatre, built in Shoreditch in 1576 by James Burbage, father of Richard Burbage. The Burbages first rented the land on which the "Theater" was built for 21 years. In 1598, the owner of the land increased the rent, and the Burbages dismantled the "Theater" beam by beam, after which they transported it to the Thames and assembled it again, but already as a "Globe".

In July 1613, the Globe burned down when the play "Henry VIII" was on its stage. The theatrical cannon misfired and the thatched wooden beams caught fire. No one was hurt then, except for one spectator, who put out the burning trousers with a bottle of ale.

The exact dimensions of the Globe are unknown, but its plan can be accurately reconstructed based on the research that has been done. The data claim that it was an open three-tiered amphitheater surrounded by a rather high wall, the diameters of which were 97 - 102 feet or 29.6-31.1 meters, accommodating up to 3 thousand spectators. Wenceslas Hollar's sketch shows the Globe as a circular building. Later, in a similar form, which did not exist by that time, it was included in the engraved so-called. "Long landscape". In 1997-1998. the discovery of a small part of the foundation of the Globe Theater showed that it had the shape of a polygon with twenty (or eighteen) sides.

On the inner sides of its wall were lodges for the London aristocracy. Above them were galleries for the wealthy strata. There were a total of 3 levels of seating. The most privileged spectators were located right on the stage. The stage had a platform at the base - "parterre", on which for 1 penny people could watch the performance while standing. The groundlings ate oranges and hazelnuts during the performance, the husks of which were found during excavations of the theater.

The rectangle of the stage, or "proscenium", is somewhat pushed into the center of the open courtyard. The stage was approximately 43 feet wide (13.1 meters), 27 feet deep and raised 5 feet (1.52 meters) off the ground. The stage had a hatch used by the performers to exit from the basement under the stage. Perhaps there were other hatches. The theater stage was without a curtain.

At the request of director and boatman Sam Wanamaker, a new "Globe" was built according to an Elizabethan plan.

During the construction of the building, they sought to obtain an optimal copy corresponding to the original. The discovery of the remains of the original "Globe" contributed to this and influenced the final decision and plans for the location of the recreated building. The modernization of the theater consisted of the installation of lighting equipment, roof sprinklers to protect against fire, and partially connected the theater to a modern foyer, visitor center and additional backstage area to support performances. According to safety rules, the performance can be attended by no more than 1,300 people, and this is about half of the 3,000 spectators who could accommodate the theater of Shakespeare's times.

The Globe Theater is very similar to the one that existed 400 years ago. It helps to improve the plays and time of Shakespeare and brings to us the magic of art, which is also in the real theater.

How to get there?