Globe Theatre

Introduction & Top Questions
The second best playhouse
The success of the Globe
The design of the Globe
Playing at the Globe
Rebuilding the Globe

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Historical map of London around 1600 highlighting the locations of major theatres such as The Globe, The Rose, The Swan, The Fortune, and The Curtain, along with city walls, administrative areas, halls, and other buildings used as theatres. The map shows the River Thames at the bottom and marks notable city features, streets, and neighborhoods, with theatres indicated by red squares.

Know About Shakespeare's Globe Theater and the Reason Behind Its Location

Interactive: A Tour of the Rebuilt Globe Theatre

A trapdoor on stage at the Globe Theatre

Crowds of tourists gather outside the white, timber-framed Globe Theatre, a reconstruction of Shakespeare's historic playhouse on London's South Bank.

Visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in Bankside, London

At a Glance

Globe Theatre summary

Related Questions

During which Shakespeare play did the Globe Theatre burn down?
How did actor-owners of the Globe Theatre earn money from performances?
How did archaeological discoveries change the design of the reconstructed Globe Theatre?
How did modern fire-safety rules change the design of the reconstructed Globe Theatre?
How did performances at the Globe Theatre differ between summer and winter?
How did the Globe Theatre’s balcony support scenes in Shakespeare’s plays?
How did the Globe Theatre’s open stage create interaction between actors and the audience?
How did the open-air Globe Theatre affect the way Shakespeare’s plays were staged?
How did the stage roof protect performers at the Globe Theatre?
How large was the stage at the Globe Theatre?
How many levels of galleries did the Globe Theatre have?
How many people could attend a performance at the original Globe Theatre?
How tall was the original Globe Theatre?
What caused the Globe Theatre fire of 1613?
What did the original Globe Theatre look like from the outside?
What was built on the site after the Globe Theatre was demolished?
What were the tiring house and the tiring-house wall used for at the Globe Theatre?
When did the original Globe Theatre open in London?
When was the Globe Theatre rebuilt after the 1613 fire?
When were the foundations of the original Globe Theatre discovered?
Where did the poorest audience members stand at the Globe Theatre?
Where did wealthy spectators sit at the Globe Theatre?
Where in London was the original Globe Theatre located?
Which acting company owned and performed at the Globe Theatre?
Why did Blackfriars Theatre bring in more profit than the Globe Theatre?
Why did Elizabethan theatre depend heavily on the audience’s imagination?
Why did Globe Theatre performances use little or no scenery?
Why did the King’s Men operate both the Globe Theatre and Blackfriars Theatre?
Why did the Lord Chamberlain’s Men build the Globe Theatre?
Why did the Puritans close the Globe Theatre in 1642?
Why does the modern Globe Theatre have a smaller audience capacity than the original Globe Theatre?
Why is the modern Globe Theatre not an exact replica of the original?
Why was the Globe Theatre pulled down in 1644?
Why were Globe Theatre performances held in the afternoon?
Why were actors in Shakespeare’s company given only their own lines and cues?
Why were the timbers of The Theatre moved to build the Globe Theatre?
Why was the Globe Theatre famous?
What destroyed the Globe Theatre?
What is the most famous object in the Victoria and Albert Museum?
What is the difference between the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum?
What is Big Ben?
How is Big Ben powered?
What is Saint Paul’s Cathedral famous for?
Who was married at Saint Paul’s Cathedral?
Who is buried inside Saint Paul’s Cathedral?

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External Websites

University of Chicago Library - The Globe Theatre
The Ohio State University - Origins - The Globe Theatre: Shakespeare Lost and Found
Shakespeare Online - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Map of Early Modern London - The Globe
ABC listen - The Drawing Room - Building Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Humanities LibreTexts - The Globe Playhouse
BBC News - Shakespeare's Globe: A theatrical laboratory
Folger Shakespeare Library - Shakespeare's theater
Official Site of the Shakespeare's Globe, London, United Kingdom
PlayShakespeare.com - The Globe Theatre

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Globe Theatre - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Globe Theatre

historical theater, London, United Kingdom

Written by

Andrew Gurr

Emeritus Professor of English, University of Reading, Reading, England. Director of the Renaissance Texts Research Centre, University of Reading, 1997-2004.

Andrew Gurr

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Globe Theatre, famous London theater that opened in 1599 and in which the plays of William Shakespeare were performed. It was founded by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the theatrical company to which Shakespeare belonged. The Globe, known for its open-air construction, emerged within the English Renaissance, when humanism, urbanization, expanding literacy, and renewed interest in classical drama contributed to the growth of professional theater. The Globe was noted for its partnership model, in which the...

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