Shakespeare and the Globe

The original 16th century Globe is associated with Shakespeare as he first staged Hamlet, King Lear and Othello at the theatre. In this extract from House of Commons Hansard Robert Banks (Conservative MP for Harrogate), Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark) and Iain Sproat (Conservative MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage at the time), discussed the Globe Theatre Project.

The Globe Theatre Project was the brainchild of the American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker. Wanamaker began a project to rebuild the theatre in 1949, and founded the Shakespeare's Globe Playhouse Trust  in 1970. This Parliamentary debate outlines the history of the original theatre and the process involved in re-building it. The plans for the new Globe, which opened in 1997, included a theatre, an education centre, a museum, audio-visual archive and library, all designed to educate people about Shakespeare and his work.