While we opted for cushioned gallery seats rather than standing in the pit at London’s Globe Theatre, we enjoyed seeing the reconstructed theater and the performance of William Shakespeare’s "Richard II" on a month long stay in London.
The 20-sided open-air theater is a close replica of the original, with its thatched roof - the first allowed in London in 300 years - planks from 1,000 oak trees put together without nails and lime-plastered walls. The traditional flag was flown to indicate a play being performed that afternoon - most people in Shakespeare’s time didn’t read, making the symbol a necessity.
An American actor, Sam Wanamaker, was a driving force behind the reconstruction of the theater, opened in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II. It was built about 200 yards from the original site because another historical building occupies that space.
Only 1,500 people are allowed inside. The original Globe was built for 2,000 and sometimes held 3,000. Most audience members in Shakespeare’s time stood in the "yard" or pit, paying a penny for the privilege. This was the equivalent of a day’s wages for the average "groundling," the polite name for the servants, apprentices, shopkeepers and soldiers in the pit.
"Stinkards" was the more common name because of the hot and smelly nature of these patrons. If Queen Elizabeth I set the example of taking one bath a month whether she needed it or not, you can imagine the state of her poorer subjects. A trough and drain covered with straw serving as a lavatory did not improve the atmosphere.
Apples, hazelnuts and ale were sold. If the audience did not like what was happening on stage, they pelted the actors with apples and yelled obscenities. Modern patrons pay 5 pounds to stand in the pit. They are better-behaved but get just as wet in rainy weather.
For six pennies, patrons in Shakespeare’s day could sit on cushions in the balconies with roofs. For that accommodation today, one pays 10 pounds or more.
The original theater was built in 1599 by James Burbage, the father of Richard Burbage, the leading actor of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which Shakespeare joined in 1594. Thirty-four of his plays were written to be performed there. Audiences demanded variety, undoubtedly a driving force behind Shakespeare’s productivity.
In the company, a core of eight to 10 actors presented a different play each afternoon. That meant an actor might have to perform as many as 30 parts. It was unthinkable for a woman to appear on the stage, so boys played the female roles.
A canopy over the stage protected the actors and their hand-sewn costumes. There were no major props or sets; a black drape symbolized a tragedy, a torch meant evening and a throne suggested a king’s castle. A trap door below the stage allowed ghosts to rise.
The Globe and other theaters were built outside the city limits because the city fathers considered them immoral. This area, called the Bankside, featured brothels, bear-baiting pits and considerable street crime. The bishop who collected payments on the land wrote "geese" instead of prostitutes in his account books.
In 1613, a cannon was fired near the top of the theater, causing the roof to catch fire. The Globe burned to the ground in two hours. It was rebuilt but closed in 1642 when the Puritans made the theaters illegal, and two years later it was torn down.
We saw a well-acted production of "Richard II" with not-so-young males playing the female roles. The lead actor changes from a shallow, self-indulgent king to a much more sympathetic character as he loses his crown and all he values. The actors closely followed the original text. The exquisite costumes were designed by Jenny Tiramani, winner of the Olivier award for costume design in 2002.
The exhibits and explanation of the educational programs were excellent, and we ended up spending seven happy hours instead of the much shorter time we had planned.
London’s Globe Theater
