After closing in March this year, the Globe Theatre has reopened its door to visitors, this week.
As well as hearing about Shakespeare, the history of London and the theatre itself, participants will be able to step onto the Globe's prestigious stage. Alongside costumes worn by some of the most celebrated actors to have acted at the Globe, there will also be a photography exhibition in the space from theatre photographer Marc Brenner of previously unseen backstage images taken at the Globe during lockdown. There will be six tours a day, every day of the week.
Neil Constable, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe, said: “As an independent charity that currently receives no government subsidy, our hope is that any income raised from this festival will help support the Globe, artists and practitioners, as we all continue to look for new ways to share our work. After being closed for five months, reopening for our wonderful guided tours, giving access to the stage to our visitors for the first time, and the opening of our online shop and the Swan Bar & Restaurant are all ways in which we hope to welcome more and more people back through our doors to safely enjoy culture and experience in our iconic theatre before we are in a position to start performances again.”
In May, the Globe warned MPs about being “critically vulnerable and at risk of closure in the wake of COVID-19”. The London venue called for urgent funding to avoid going out of business.