Shakespeare's Globe is the complex housing a reconstruction of the
Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the
London Borough of Southwark, on the south bank of the
River Thames that was originally built in 1599, destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt in 1614, and then demolished in 1644. The modern Globe Theatre reconstruction is an academic approximation based on available evidence of the 1599 and 1614 buildings. It is considered quite realistic, though contemporary safety requirements mean that it accommodates only 1400 spectators compared to the original theatre’s 3000. It was founded by the actor and director
Sam Wanamaker, built about from the site of the original theatre and opened to the public in 1997, with a production of
Henry V. The site also includes the
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an indoor theatre which opened in January 2014. This is a smaller, candle-lit space based on the indoor playhouses of Jacobean London. The Sackler Studios, an educational and rehearsal studio complex, is situated just around the corner from the main site. There is also an Exhibition about Shakespeare's life and work, and regular tours of the two theatres.