Circling the Globe at Shakespeare's Theatre

Missing the tour of the Globe due to misinformation, we returned again today for a visit. The performance of 'As You Like It' was fabulous. Well acted and the costumes were perfect for the time period.

Here is a photo of the set for 'As You Like It'. . .

And here is the set for 'Merchant of Venice' showing this afternoon, put together in ONE hour. We watched them do it as we listened to our tour guide. Unbelievable!

It was not pleasant to be an actor on this stage in Shakespeare's time. The crowd standing in front would stink from sweat, be rowdy, and loud. The upper class sat on either side of the stage, and they would be discussing the actors during the play, even to the point of criticizing their acting, and asking questions about the next act, etc, during the performance!

Today, we toured the place, and visited the exhibition, which gave insight into all that was involved. Here is a model of the Globe in Shakespeare's time. It was burned down when the director decided to use special effects. . .a cannon, forgetting the theatre was made of thatch and wood!

Play goers would put their coins (1p for standing room in front of the stage, 2p for center seats, and 3p for seats nearer to the stage, with cushions), in this slot, and when it was full, the collectors would break it open and put the coins in a box in the office. Thus the term, 'box office' was born.

Here are a few costumes from past plays:

                

                        Juliet's nurse

                                                  

                                                          Merchant of Venice

                                                                                       

                                                                                          Cleopatra, played by a man

In those days, everything was hand made. . .

The props, too, were hand made:

And so ends our tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theate. By the way, did you know that we have hundreds of words and phrases that came into the English language throught this prolific writer?

Gossip and monumental are two words he brought to us. 

And the phrases, 

• Eaten me out of house and home (2 Henry IV)
• Forever and a day (As You Like It)
• Heart of gold (Henry V)
• In my mind's eye (Hamlet)
• Melted into thin air (The Tempest)
• Neither rhyme nor reason (As You Like It)
• Parting is such sweet sorrow (Romeo and Juliet)
• Spotless reputation (Richard II)
• Too much of a good thing (As You Like It)
• The world's my oyster (Merry Wives of Windsor)