The Globe Theatre is a reconstruction of the open air playhouse originally designed in 1599 and for which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in the reign of Elizabeth I.

The original Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII, when a cannon being used as a prop in the attic, fired an ember into the thatched roof of the theatre.

Shakespeare's Globe is the third largest theatre in London, with seating in the galleries for 1,000 and 6-700 standing, in the 'Yard'.

The Yard, (the area in front of the stage) affords the best and closest view of the stage and actors. In Shakespeare's day, people (referred to as Groundlings) were charged 1 penny for entrance to the Yard, where they could move around and interact with the players. If it rained, they could pay a further penny to sit in one of the galleries, under cover of the thatched roof.

The galleries and the thatched roof