Globe Theatre Photo story

Photos of Shakespeare's Globe in lockdown

  As we announce the return of our theatre tours today, photographer Marc Brenner releases a previously-unseen glimpse at our much-loved space which has been empty for the last five months

1 minute read

Used to capturing stages packed with the energy of a live performance, when lockdown hit the UK theatre industry, London-based photographer Marc Brenner decided to seize the silence through his work and voice the stories that the empty buildings couldn’t tell.

A wooden theatre seen through a gap in the door

Prior to the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak, Marc was photographing some of the most outstanding shows and moments in recent British theatre.

In this new series of pictures, he marks a moment in time for us as an organisation, a period of silence during which Shakespeare’s Globe sadly sat empty.

Today, as we announce the restarting of our Globe Theatre Guided Tour, Marc’s images perfectly document how much we have missed this precious space and how much we can’t wait to welcome you back to our wooden ‘O’.

You can browse a selection of his photographs both below and in person, via a physical exhibition at our new-format tours.

You can also order a selection of prints from our online shop and visit Marc’s website to explore more of his work. Follow him on Instagram @marcsbrenner.

Tiered seating of a wooden theatre with a thatched roof
Wooden bench seats in a theatre
A bell tower at the top of a wooden theatre
A wooden door next to a window
A bell and a desk of props backstage at a theatre
A wardrobe room filled with old theatre costumes hanging from rails
Four headphones and a clock hung on a wall backstage
Plastic boxes with lids with labels such as 'flags' and 'flower stems'
A quiet and empty prop making room with tools hung up on the wall
Shoes crammed into square grid storage
Pipes sit on top of shelves in a prop room at a theatre
Empty hangers on a clothes rail
A room filled with bottles and jugs that would hold paint's and glues that are used to make props
Empty chairs against wooden desks with mirrors
Partly used candles in a row with tea light candles
The wooden floor of an outdoor theatre
The number 25 printed on a bench seat
A stage sits in an open-air, circular theatre
Tall skyscraper buildings in the distance
An elaborate gold pillar holds up a theatre roof
An empty office filled with desks

FINIS.