Happy 23rd birthday, ShakespeareÂ’s Globe!

12 June 2020 17:55

Today, 12 June, marks 23 years since the theatre Zoë’s dad founded, Shakespeare’s Globe in London, was officially opened by the Queen.

The Globe is celebrating its birthday on Twitter with photos from the opening ceremony. Zoë became the first person to speak on the stage when she recited the famous ‘O for a Muse of fire’ prologue to Henry V (filmed as part of the documentary above). In addition, the theatre is inviting you to share your memories of #ThisWoodenO.

I was fortunate to experience the magic of Shakespeare's Globe soon after it opened, when I was about 12, on a school trip. Most vivid are memories of standing on the stage with friends and looking around in awe. I still have the school project in which I wrote about Sam Wanamaker's tireless work to bring ShakespeareÂ’s theatre back to the South Bank.

On The Globe’s blog, you can find out how the theatre was built and why it’s a building ‘so absolutely unlike any other’. Look out for the photo of Zoë’s dad watching oak logs being cut to create the beams.

Visit The Globe's Instagram profile to see gems from its archive, such as striking shots of the theatre taking shape on Bankside in the early 1990s.

I’ve found a couple of treasures in my own (no doubt smaller!) archive to share with you on this special day, starting with this lovely photo from 1992. It shows Zoë and her dad in England’s Forest of Dean, which provided wood for the theatre’s iconic structure.

With construction well underway, Zoë was pictured in 1995 surveying the progress – wearing a costume reminiscent of dresses worn by Elizabeth I, who enjoyed Shakespeare’s plays and reigned for much of his life.

For obvious reasons, ShakespeareÂ’s Globe is currently closed. However, you can take a virtual tour of the theatre and join online events through its website.

If you’d like to support this amazing place – a registered charity that receives no regular government subsidy – at an incredibly challenging time financially, socially and culturally, please consider making a donation to The Globe. There are plenty of other ways to support the theatre too while we wait for it to reopen.

LetÂ’s hope that by the time The Globe turns 24, weÂ’ll be able to enjoy inspiring performances, tours, workshops and more there once again.

Happy birthday, Shakespeare's Globe, and many happy returns!

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