Take a Tour of Shakespeare’s Globe, London England

While visiting London, my sister and I enjoyed an incredible evening at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It started with a tour of the theater then a delicious meal at the Globe’s own Swan restaurant. And finally, we saw a show – Troilus and Cressida. Let’s start with the tour. 

the Globe Theatre Tour

Cockney Mick was our tour guide. A humorous gent, he kept us giggling as he plied us with information. The current theatre is a replica of Shakespeare’s original 1599 Elizabethan open-air theatre. As we sat marveling at this gorgeous venue, he explained that this was the third iteration of the Globe theatre due to fires. I have written about this in a previous article, so If you would like to learn more about this, see below link.

Bad Side of Town

Cockney Mick reminded us that during Shakespeare’s time, London was split into two cities. Across the Thames it was all about business. This is where the upper crust lived. This side of the Thames where the Globe Theatre was situated was the bad side of town. This is where all the pubs, theatres and brothels were as well as the actors…(ha ha, I’m an ex actress). Cockney Mick added, ”And of course this is where all the fun was.”

He then pointed out, that we were seated in the area surrounding the stage where people who had money sat. Just above the stage, off to the right is where members of the court sat. Royalty did not attend the theater to watch the shows. Mick informed us, that they would have already seen the performances. The cast would have previously come to the court to perform for the King, Queen and courtesans. Members of Royalty would only come to the theater to be seen. Often arriving late to make an entrance just above the stage, they would show off their opulence with a new outfit.

penny-Stinkers

Below, standing around the stage, stood the common folk. They were called penny-stinkers. Why? Because they each paid a penny and did not shower often. It was hard to believe, but he told us most showered twice a year. Over 1000 people crammed in to see the show. Moreover, they also chewed garlic to ward off evil spirits. Ughh.

After painting that nauseating picture for us all, I am not sure why but I started to think about my upcoming dinner at the Globe’s Swan Restaurant. But alas that is an entirely different article. 

Needless to say, the tour provided us with much more information. These were just a few of the highlights. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it. Cockney Mick admitted to being an actor himself. I’m pretty sure all the tours are led by actors. Thus making for a more lighthearted and fun experience.

Next I was off to review both the Globe’s restaurant Swan and one of its plays ~ Troilus and Cressida later that evening. Read Shakespeare’s GlobeTroilus and Cressida Review Here. Find out more about the history, and tour info, as well as my very first visit to the Globe Theatre HERE. My Swan Restaurant Review will be up shortly.