Globe Theatre London Roof

400 years later live cannons may no no longer used in theatres but shakespeare s canon is being performed here in original performance conditions.

Globe theatre london roof.

Discover things to do and watch from shakespeare s globe in london. A second globe theatre was built on the same site by june 1614 and closed by an ordinance. When a set of stage cannons were fired near the end of act one to mark the entrance of king henry for a masque scene at cardinal wolsey s residence barely anyone in the crowd noticed that a piece of flaming material from one of the cannons had landed on the theatre s thatched roof. Shakespeare s globe is a world renowned theatre education centre and cultural landmark located on the bank of the river thames in london uk.

In 1613 during a performance of henry viii wadding from a stage cannon ignited the thatched roof and the original globe was burnt to the ground. The modern thatch is well protected by fire retardants and sprinklers on the roof ensure further protection against fire. The building has several features recreated just like the original elizabethan structure shakespeare s globe has the first and only thatched roof permitted in london since the great fire of 1666. Shakespeare s company built the globe only because it could not use the special roofed facility blackfriars theatre that james burbage the father of their leading actor richard burbage had built in 1596 for it inside the city the elder burbage had a long history as a theatrical entrepreneur in 1576 he had built the first successful amphitheatre known as the theatre in a london suburb.

Built of english oak like the original shakespeare s globe theatre was constructed with absolutely no structural steel. The thatched roof of the new globe was a subject of much debate as roof thatching had been outlawed after the great fire of london in 1666. Swift reconstruction did take place and the globe reopened to the public within a year with the addition of a tiled roof. Accessible plays performances guided tours family events talks and courses all take place in our two iconic theatres the globe theatre and sam wanamaker playhouse.