PRESS RELEASES.
Access the latest press releases via this page and visit our Press Room for more information
MAY 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE WELCOMES MOVING STORIES IN SUPPORT OF REFUGEES
On Sunday 25 June, Shakespeare’s Globe will host ‘Moving Stories’ in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The event will
include sketches, short plays and songs examining the experiences of refugees, and responses to the crisis.
Curated by actress Emma Manton, ‘Moving Stories’ will take place on the final day of Refugee Week, a festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. All profits from the event will be donated to the UNHCR to help towards providing support and assistance to refugees affected by the war in Ukraine.
APRIL 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Globe Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes (The Winter’s Tale, Globe). Shakespeare’s madcap comedy about long-lost siblings and mistaken identities will transport us 400 years into an Elizabethan past to watch as these families unravel and descend into glorious chaos. This production continues Shakespeare’s Globe’s 400th Anniversary celebrations of the First Folio, without which the play would have been lost to history.
The cast of The Comedy of Errors comprises Claire Benedict as Abbess, Matthew Broome as Antipholus of Ephesus, Philip Cumbus as Duke / Pinch, Michael Elcock as Antipholus of Syracuse, George Fouracres as Dromio of Ephesus, Laura Hanna as Adriana, Hari MacKinnon as Angelo, Jordan Metcalfe as Dromio of Syracuse, Phoebe Naughton as Courtesan / First Merchant / Balthazar, Danielle Phillips as Luce / Second Merchant / Messenger, Paul Rider as Egeon, and Jessica Whitehurst as Luciana.
APRIL 2023
STELLA KANU APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the appointment of Stella Kanu as Chief Executive. Stella brings over 30 years of experience working in the theatre, festival, and cultural sectors, and is currently Executive Director at LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), leading the strategic strands of the business and executive producing of the biennial-festival. During her tenure, Stella led the organisation through a challenging pandemic, despite this she has since built a healthy surplus for the first time in 10 years; secured international research partnerships focused on Climate Change and has overseen the creation of ‘LIFT the City’ – a new innovative partnership with City of London Corporation to reshape the square mile through Culture by 2025. She executive produced the UK premiere of the Lithuanian Venice Biennial Golden Lion winner Sun and Sea, bringing it to London for the first time in 2022. She leaves LIFT in a stronger financial position, with renewed operational strength, exciting partnerships, and a dynamic team.
Earlier this year, the Globe announced that current Chief Executive, Neil Constable, would step down from the role after almost 14 years leading the team which transformed the Globe into the world-class destination it is today. The competitive and thorough recruitment was led by the Globe’s Board. The nominations committee were supported by Executive Recruitment consultancy Green Park. Stella will join the Globe in Autumn 2023, allowing for a smooth leadership transition. Artistic Director Michelle Terry will be appearing as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the opening of the Globe’s summer season on 27 April.
APRIL 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE WELCOMES RAMADAN TENT PROJECT FOR 10th ANNIVERSARY OPEN IFTAR 2023
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to welcome Ramadan Tent Project to break fast on Monday 10 April at 7pm, in the iconic, open-air Globe Theatre as part of the 10th Anniversary Open Iftar 2023.
Open Iftar is a series of events organised as part of Ramadan Festival 2023 by Ramadan Tent Project. Events will be hosted across leading cultural attractions and venues, inviting people from all faiths and none to join together during Ramadan to break fast, creating spaces of dialogue, exchange, and engagement. The events include speeches, opportunities to pray, and a free meal shared by all attendees.
MARCH 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Elle While (The Merry Wives of Windsor, 2019; As You Like It, Hamlet, 2018). The cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream comprises Sam Crerar as Lysander, Sarah Finigan as Egeus / Snug, Mariah Gale as Bottom, Vinnie Heaven as Demetrius, Jack Laskey as Oberon / Theseus, Molly Logan as Flute / Fairy, Francesca Mills as Hermia, Anne Odeke as Hippolyta, Marianne Oldham as Titania, Rebecca Root as Quince, Michelle Terry as Puck, Isobel Thom as Helena, and Tanika Yearwood as Snout / Mustardseed.
february 2023
COMEDY, CABARET, AND MORE AT SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE
Bourgeois & Maurice perform one-off cabaret night, Unplugged and Unhinged, on 20 March.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse hosts Edinburgh comedy previews this Spring: Rob Auton and Ania Magliano on 27 March; Luke Kempner and Pierre Novellie on 24 April; and Chloe Petts and Ahir Shah on 22 May.
Shabaka Hutchings presents Shabaka: to pause, to reflect, a live performance created for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, on 13 March.
Inua Ellams brings his audience-led poetry event Search Party to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 15 May.
January 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR PLAYING SHAKESPEARE WITH DEUTSCHE BANK: THE TEMPEST
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of this year’s Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production, The Tempest. Diane Page (Julius Caesar, Globe Tour 2022) will direct the production created especially for young people. Public performances of The Tempest run from 18 March – 15 April, alongside the schools’ project.
The cast includes Aoife Gaston and David Huntley, who both return to Playing Shakespeare after featuring in the 2022 production, Macbeth. Joining them are Azan Ahmed, Charlie Cameron, David Ijiti, Emma Manton, Lloyd McDonagh, Archie Rush, Bea Svistunenko and Zheng Xi Yong.
January 2023
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE ANNOUNCES SUMMER SEASON 2023
Shakespeare’s Globe is thrilled to announce the Summer Season, running from April – October 2023.
- Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe Michelle Terry stars as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Elle While, opening the season on 27 April.
- Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes directs The Comedy of Errors, running from 12 May.
- Abigail Graham returns to Shakespeare’s Globe to direct Macbeth, running from 21 July.
- Ellen McDougall returns to direct As You Like It, running from 18 August.
- Family-show Midsummer Mechanicals returns to the Playhouse from 22 July.
- Flagship project for secondary schools, Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, returns with The Tempest, directed by Diane Page.
- Burnt at the Stake, or The Whole Truth, a special night of new writing runs in the Globe Theatre on 13 October.
January 2023
Neil Constable to step down as CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe
Following almost 14 years leading Shakespeare’s Globe, Chief Executive and Trustee Neil Constable has advised the Board that he will be stepping down from the role by the end of 2023. Over the 14 years of Neil’s leadership, he has headed the team that transformed the Globe into the world-class destination it is today. The competitive recruitment process is now open for applicants, and is led by Green Park, enabling a smooth leadership transition. Alongside Artistic Director Michelle Terry, Neil will continue to take responsibility for the 2023 summer season, to be announced later this month. Shakespeare’s Globe is an independent charity, operating without any regular subsidy or
Arts Council England funding.
December 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Casting for The Winter’s Tale
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of The Winter’s Tale, directed by Sean Holmes (Globe Associate Artistic Director). For the very first time, the production will traverse between both iconic theatres – the open-air Globe Theatre and candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The production will begin in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, for the aristocratic luxury of Sicilia, before transferring during the interval to the Globe Theatre, as the pastoral playground of Bohemia. The Winter’s Tale’s opening also marks the start of the Globe’s Folio 400th Anniversary celebrations, which will take place throughout 2023.
December 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe USA Celebrates 40th Anniversary and Appoints New Chair
The Globe’s US Patrons’ organization, Shakespeare’s Globe USA, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and has elected new Chair of the Board Alan Jones (AJ).
The Globe’s US Patrons’ organization, Shakespeare’s Globe USA, enables American supporters to participate in and contribute to the Globe’s work, on stage and off, on both sides of the Atlantic. The charity was inaugurated at a gala dinner held in Los Angeles on 23 September 1982, in the presence of the late Patrons HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Grace of Monaco. The not-for-profit supports theater, educational, and research projects, and expands the reach of the Globe through educational, outreach and developmental projects in the United States and around the world. The Board comprises Neil Constable, Amy Griggs, Michael Hoffman, Joseph Marcell, Mia Monae. Alan Jones (Chair), Michael Lebovitz, Raphael Roesler, Emma Stenning, Chris Uzelac, and Ed Winters.
December 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Casting for Titus Andronicus
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of Titus Andronicus, directed by Jude Christian (Dark Night of the Soul, Nanjing, Shakespeare’s Globe). Performed for the first time in the Sam Wanamaker the deadly revenge tragedy stars Katy Stephens as Titus (Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Shakespeare’s Globe, 2022), Kibong Tanji as Aaron, and Lucy McCormick (Wuthering Heights, National Theatre) as Saturninus. Titus Andronicus. Music is composed by Jasmin Kent Rodgman, with original songs written by award-winning ‘modern day music hall stars’ (Guardian) Bourgeois & Maurice.
NOVEMBER 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Casting for The Fir Tree
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the return of its climate conscious festive production, The Fir Tree, running 15 – 31 December. Written by Globe writer-in-residence Hannah Khalil and directed by Michelle Terry (Artistic Director), this enchanting retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale opens in the Globe Theatre. Paul Ready (Motherland, BBC; Macbeth, Globe) and Anna Crichlow (Julius Caesar, Globe on Tour 2022) return to the cast, alongside new cast members Tony Jayawardena (Christmas at the Snow Globe, Globe), Molly Logan (Macbeth, Globe), and Jos Vantyler (The Two Noble Kinsmen, Globe).
NOVEMBER 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces New Winter Season Events and Activities for All Ages
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce a new season of events and activities for the upcoming winter season. Our flagship project for secondary schools, Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, returns with a production of The Tempest created especially for young people, directed by Diane Page (Julius Caesar, Globe on Tour 2022). February Half Term and the Easter holidays are jam-packed with events for families and young people, including live storytellings and family workshops for children aged 5-12 and their grown-ups, interactive workshops for young people aged 12+ and 15, and Young Actors Short Courses for 8-10 and 11-13 year olds. The free live Anti-Racist Shakespeare webinars series continues in the new year, covering Henry V, Titus Andronicus and The Winter’s Tale. On 24 and 25 February, the Education department will present Rutgers Conservatory Acting Students in a workshop performance of The Comedy of Errors, and later that month, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse welcomes Mawa Theatre Company for a Shakespeare Monologue Slam Night. In April, The Fourth Choir returns to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse with ‘The Only Planet’, a concert of choral masterpieces that celebrates Mother Earth.
October 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe and Tamasha Announce Casting for Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights
Shakespeare’s Globe and Tamasha are delighted to announce the cast and company for the premiere of their coproduction Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights by Globe writer-in-residence Hannah Khalil (The Fir Tree, Henry VIII, Globe). Tamasha Artistic Director Pooja Ghai returns to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse to direct Hakawatis following her acclaimed production of Lions and Tigers in 2017. Hakawatis opens on 1 December and runs until 14 January.
October 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe and Headlong Announce Casting for Henry V
Launching Shakespeare’s Globe’s Winter Season, Henry V opens in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 10 November, running until 4 February. In a Shakespeare’s Globe and Headlong production with Leeds Playhouse and Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Henry V will be performed in the intimate, indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for the first time, exploring the single-minded pursuit of Henry V, and what it means to be ‘English’.
October 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Eight New Trustees
Shakespeare’s Globe is announcing eight new Trustees joining the Board this year. Several of the organisation’s Trustees are retiring this year, with a combined thirty-nine years of service supporting the Globe most recently through successive lockdowns, through to reopening the theatre, and planning for the future.
The Globe’s wide ranging open recruitment, supported by Philip Nelson of the Hiring Department, started last February, and attracted an impressively large number of high-calibre applicants from all walks of life. It has secured individuals bringing diverse skills, thinking and experience, ready to plan for a strong and successful future for the organisation. The Trustees are Dipo Baruwa-Etti, Sandeep Dwesar, Ramia M. El Agamy, Rick Gildea, Reinhard Gorenflos, Ruth Rowan, Indy Saha, and Despina Tsatsas. They will be joining current Trustees John Baker (Treasurer), David Butter (Deputy Chair), Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE (Chair), Erica Crump, Matt Jones OBE, Robert Laurence, Nell Leyshon (Deputy Chair), and Professor Julie Sanders. During the recruitment process further individuals were identified to join the Globe’s Board next year, these will be confirmed and announced in due course.
August 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces 2022 Shakespeare and Race Festival with King’s College London
Formalising 20 years of collaboration between two world-renowned institutions, Shakespeare’s Globe and King’s College London have established a new research centre, dubbed Shakespeare Centre London. The Centre will be a place of excellence for Shakespeare studies, dedicated to exploring Shakespeare and early modern literary works.
The first joint activity from the new centre will be co-curating and co-hosting the fourth annual Shakespeare and Race Festival 2022. First held in 2018, the festival is an event series originally conceived and curated by Professor Farah Karim-Cooper, Professor of English at King’s and Co-Director of Education at Shakespeare’s Globe. This builds upon years of collaboration, including the joint MA in Shakespeare Studies.
JULY 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Casting for New Play I, Joan
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the company for the premiere of a powerful new play, I, Joan running 25 August – 22 October in the Globe Theatre. Written by Charlie Josephine (Bitch Boxer) and directed by Ilinca Radulian (Co-Director, Richard III, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse 2019), Charlie returns to the Globe following being part of the acting ensemble for the critically acclaimed Metamorphoses in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2021).
Joan will be played by Isobel Thom (graduating Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama 2022) and Jolyon Coy (previous work at the Globe includes The Merchant of Venice 2013, Holy Warriors 2014, and Antony & Cleopatra 2014) will play Charles.
June 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Winter Season in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
The Winter Season in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse will open on 10 November with Henry V directed by Headlong Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan and co-produced by the Globe and Headlong with Leeds Playhouse and Royal & Derngate, Northampton. The season also includes Shakespeare’s deadly revenge tragedy, Titus Andronicus (directed by Jude Christian), and The Winter’s Tale (directed by Sean Holmes) in a production taking place both in the Playhouse and Globe Theatre. Globe writer-in-residence Hannah Khalil will premiere a new play, Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights. The co-production with Tamasha will be directed by Pooja Ghai. The Fir Tree returns over Christmas for open-air festive family fun, directed by Michelle Terry.
JUNE 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Full Cast of Midsummer Mechanicals
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast and company for Midsummer Mechanicals opening in Sam
Wanamaker Playhouse 28 July – 21 August.
This is the first time the Globe is premiering a full-scale production for families and young people. Midsummer Mechanicals is a co-production with Splendid Productions, directed by Lucy Cuthbertson and Kerry Frampton and written by Kerry Frampton and Ben Hales.
Midsummer Mechanicals is an hilarious new follow-up to the play-within-a-play from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, following Peter Quince’s troupe’s attempt to recapture the success of their first hit show, Pyramus and Thisbe.
MAY 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Full Cast of Henry VIII Featuring Adam Gillen
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast and company for Henry VIII running 19 May – 21 October, directed by Amy Hodge.
Adam Gillen will play King Henry VIII, returning to the Globe stage following his acclaimed performance of Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet in 2021. Adam’s other theatre credits include Killer Joe (starring Orlando Bloom) in 2018 for which he was Olivier nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and the National Theatre’s acclaimed production of Amadeus, opposite Lucian Msamati. His screen credits include his role in ITV sitcom Benidorm from 2011 – 2018, Vita & Virginia (2018), and Fresh Meat (2011). Bea Segura will play Queen Katharine and Janet Etuk will play Anne Bullen.
April 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Full Cast of King Lear, Featuring Kathryn Hunter and Michelle Terry
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast and company for King Lear opening 10 June – 24 July.
Twenty-five years after their original, ground-breaking production of King Lear, members of the original company will reunite bringing the production to a new generation, including internationally lauded director Helena Kaut-Howson, Marcello Magni, Pawel Dobrzycki, and ‘one of the greatest stage actors alive’ (Vanity Fair) Kathryn Hunter.
April 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announce BBC Broadcasts to Celebrate 25th Anniversary
The BBC and Shakespeare’s Globe have teamed up to celebrate the Globe’s 25th Anniversary, broadcasting three films on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer. The productions span across the years with Michelle Terry in Twelfth Night (2021), Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016) and Gemma Arterton in The Duchess of Malfi (2014). These broadcasts form part of BBC Four’s new Sunday Night Performances showcasing some of the best of the UK’s dance, theatre, music and spoken word in specially made films for television every week of the year.
March 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announce Cast of the 2022 Globe on Tour Production of Julius Caesar.
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast and company for Julius Caesar. Directed by Diane Page, Globe on Tour will be bringing this production to The Globe Theatre and venues across the UK from 29 April – 10 September.
March 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe Announce Cast of Summer 2022 Season Opening Production: Much Ado About Nothing
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast and company for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Lucy Bailey. This will be performed by the Globe Ensemble who will be returning for The Tempest on 22 July.
January 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe announces Summer Season 2022
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people. – Henry VIII
Shakespeare’s Globe is thrilled to announce the Summer Season 2022 full of pomp, pageantry, politics, and power. The season runs April – October 2022. Productions include…
January 2022
Full cast of The Merchant of Venice in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast of The Merchant of Venice, performed in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, directed by Abigail Graham and designed by Sarah Beaton.
January 2022
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full cast of this year’s Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Macbeth
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for the 2022 Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Macbeth, directed by Sarah Frankcom. This marks Sarah’s directorial return following her tenure as Artistic Director of LAMDA. Macbeth is a full-scale, gripping, 90-minute production in the Globe Theatre created specifically for young people, but is also a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for all ages and stages
December 2021
Globe announces full cast of Hamlet in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast of Hamlet which will be performed for the very first time in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse by the Globe Ensemble, directed by Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes.
DECEMBER 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe announces relaunch of Globe Player
Shakespeare’s Globe has announced the relaunch of their video-on-demand streaming service, Globe Player. The original platform was the first of its kind and the upgrade enables audiences to subscribe or pay-on-demand for world-class Shakespeare productions to devices internationally.
November 2021
Globe re-imagines Hans Christian Andersen’s The Fir Tree in open-air festive show for all the family
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce this year’s Christmas production, a festive re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Fir Tree. The Fir Tree promises to be a magical family festive production of storytelling, puppetry, song and hope.
Thursday 28 October 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe announces Measure for Measure in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast of Measure for Measure, directed by Blanche McIntyre and designed by James Cotterill. Opening the Winter Season on the 19 November in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Wednesday 1 September 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe announces 2021/22 Winter Season in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare’s Globe has announced its Winter Season for 2021/22 in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The season will feature Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure directed by Blanche McIntyre, Hamlet directed by Sean Holmes, The Merchant of Venice directed by Abigail Graham, and a festive reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Fir Tree written by Hannah Khalil. Alongside productions in the Playhouse, there will also be two week-long festivals (including the return of Shakespeare and Race) and half-term events for families. The Globe will continue to reach audiences at home and internationally through live streamed productions of Measure for Measure, Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice.
Tuesday 27 July 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe announces first ever neighbourhood tour
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce its first ever neighbourhood tour, offering free performances to local community organisations in London. Globe on Tour, which normally would take three productions across the UK and beyond, will this year be staying in London, partnering with local schools, community organisations and charities who will provide free tickets to their invited audience in the Globe’s home borough of Southwark and across the city.
Monday 19 July 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe announces the return of standing tickets
Shakespeare’s Globe has announced the return of the much-loved £5 ‘Groundling’ standing tickets for the opening of Twelfth Night on the 29 July. As a result of the easing of restrictions not permitting standing theatre tickets, the open-air Globe theatre has now announced that 200 of the £5 standing tickets are now on sale for performances from the 29 July. This number will allow for those who choose to social distance in the Yard.
Wednesday 24 March 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe reopens outdoors theatre from 19 May
Shakespeare’s Globe is preparing to reopen its outdoor theatre on 19 May 2021. Provided the conditions are met for Step 3 of the Government’s roadmap for cultural reopening, the Globe will be welcoming audiences in for socially distanced performances, having closed on 18 March 2020.
Tuesday 9 March 2021
Shakespeare’s Globe is preparing to re-open it’s doors for step 2 the government’s roadmap
The Globe is preparing to open again. Provided the conditions are met for Step 2 of the Government’s roadmap for cultural reopening the Globe’s guided tour of the theatre will return from 13 April and include welcoming schools back onsite with tours and workshops. The open-air theatre is preparing exciting plans for full reopening in preparation for Step 3 of the roadmap, sharing details of a summer season later this month.
WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2020
Sandi Toksvig to star in festive film premiere from Globe Theatre
This December, national treasure Sandi Toksvig will be bringing laughter, carols and the joy of Christmas from the Globe Theatre in an online film premiere of Christmas at the (Snow) Globe from Monday 21 December. To help share the Christmas cheer with as many people as possible, the Globe are offering all UK care homes and children’s hospitals Christmas at (Snow) Globe for free. This film is based on the 2019 production which was written and directed by Sandi Toksvig and Jenifer Toksvig. Pip Broughton joins to direct this film adaptation which will be available until 5 January, runs at approximately 45 minutes, and is being shot on location at the Globe, currently closed to the public due to lockdown.
Tuesday 6 October 2020
Halloween digital festival ‘Shakespeare and Fear’ to include staged reading of Macbeth from 2018 critically acclaimed production
Filmed in the candle-lit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, ‘Shakespeare and Fear’ is the second digital festival streaming online from 31 October to 9 November. The festival opens on Halloween with Deep Night, Dark Night, followed by Macbeth: A Conjuring, and In Conversation: Fear in our Moment. There will also be spooky ‘how-to’ workshops for all the family.
wednesday 19 August 2020
Globe restarts award-winning Guided Tours with visitors onstage for the first time, alongside an exciting digital festival filmed in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
After closing in March this year, the Globe Theatre opens its oak doors once more for guided tours from 21 August. As well as hearing about Shakespeare, the history of London and the renowned theatre itself, visitors will also have a once in a lifetime chance to stand on one of the most famous stages in the world. 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.
wednesday 12 August 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe publishes a statement of intent to become anti-racist and announces an online festival ‘Shakespeare and Race’
In an important move to understand properly the challenges it faces in becoming a truly diverse and anti-racist organisation, Shakespeare’s Globe has released a statement of intent, alongside newly published data regarding diversity within the organisation. The Globe also announces today that the third annual Shakespeare and Race festival will be online from 21 – 23 August, filmed in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
wednesday 22 April 2020
Shakespeare for all: The Globe celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday online
Shakespeare for all: at a time when the Globe would normally be opening its summer season welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors, the celebrations of Shakespeare’s Birthday on 23 April will be hosted online, including collaborations with the BBC and the Guardian.
Monday 30 March 2020
Globe announces new digital content, free films, Mark Rylance’s Shakespeare Walks, and online support for students
Shakespeare’s Globe has been preparing a raft of new digital content to continue to engage its audiences with Shakespeare’s works. Shakespeare & Love in Isolation will see artists, in times of solitude and from their place of sanctuary, sharing some of the greatest words ever written. The series will be released as soon as possible, and artists involved include national treasure and creative team behind Christmas at the (Snow) Globe Sandi Toksvig and Jenifer Toksvig, and award-winning actress and director Kathryn Hunter.
wednesday 18 March 2020
Following the UK Government’s official guidance, Shakespeare’s Globe is closed to the public until further notice, ceasing performances, education activities and tours
Neil Constable, Chief Executive, said: “In this unprecedented time for theatre, as a charity that receives no annual government subsidy, we are in desperate need of donations.
“We produce award-winning productions, projects such as Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank ensure 20,000 free tickets go to school children, we have a world-class Higher Education and Research facility keeping us up to date with the latest in Shakespearean studies. In all, we provide activities for young and old, visitors and neighbours, doing our best to bolster the UK’s cultural offering via the world’s greatest playwright, Shakespeare. We remain one of the most affordable and accessible theatres in the UK, despite a multitude of pressures, managing to retain our £5 Groundling tickets and over 50% of tickets in the Globe Theatre at £25 or less. The Globe is entirely reliant on revenue from ticket sales, and the generosity of supporters, Friends and Patrons.
Friday 13 March 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Romeo & Juliet, directed by Ola Ince
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce full casting for Romeo & Juliet, directed by Ola Ince, designed by Jacob Hughes, which will open the 2020 Summer Season on Tuesday 14 April. Ola is currently an Artistic Associate at The Royal Court and winner of the h100 Theatre & Performance Award. Her credits include Appropriate (Donmar Warehouse), The Convert (Young Vic) and Poet In Da Corner (Royal Court).
monday 3 febuary 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank: Macbeth
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for the 2020 Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Macbeth, directed by Cressida Brown. This full-scale, fast-paced production is created especially for young people, and will open on Wednesday 26 February until Wednesday 25 March. This year, the demand was so high that over 18,000 free tickets were allocated to state secondary schools in London and Birmingham in just one day, with thousands more students expected to watch the production during its run.
Friday 31 january 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe Announces Full Casting for Globe on Tour Summer 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for Globe on Tour, directed by Brendan O’Hea. The company of eight actors will once again offer audiences around the world a trio of plays, which this year explore the relationship between humankind and Mother Nature. Audiences will cast their votes for either A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It or The Tempest, each of which explores the natural world and its great potential for abundance and transformation.
Wednesday 29 january 2020
Saffron Burrows, Oliver Chris and Belinda Stewart-Wilson join cast of Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce further casting for Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men, a new black comedy by actor and writer Lorien Haynes, directed by Tara Fitzgerald (Brassed Off, Game of Thrones), being hosted in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on Thursday 20 February.
Wednesday 22 january 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe announces Summer Season 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the summer season 2020 will include Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Antony & Cleopatra, a two-day event ‘Globe 4 Globe: Shakespeare and Climate Emergency’, a symposium ‘Shakespeare and Race’, a Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Macbeth with 20,000 free tickets to school children, the return of family festival ‘Telling Tales’, and a new dramatisation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses by our resident writers.
friday 10 january 2020
Shakespeare’s Globe announces casting for The Taming of the Shrew and Women Beware Women
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce full casting for the next two productions opening in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in February: The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Maria Gaitanidi, and Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women, directed by Amy Hodge.
In an exciting and experimental production, roles for The Taming of the Shrew are to be played by different company members at different performances.
friday 6 december 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces one-off events Notes to the Forgotten She-Wolves and Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next year
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce further details of Notes to the Forgotten SheWolves, and Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men; one-off performances coming to the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in January and February 2020.
Tuesday 12 November 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Swive [Elizabeth], created by Ella Hickson and Natalie Abrahami
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce full casting for the world premiere of Swive [Elizabeth].
Created by award-winning writer Ella Hickson and award-winning director Natalie Abrahami, and designed by Ben Stones, this new play will shine candlelight on the ways and means by which women in power negotiate patriarchal pressure in order to get their way.
Wednesday 23 oCTOBER 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Christmas at the (Snow) Globe by Sandi Toksvig and Jenifer Toksvig
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full company for Christmas at the (Snow) Globe, created and directed by Sandi Toksvig and Jenifer Toksvig, and designed by Charlie Cridlan.
Opening on Thursday 19 December, this brand new production will invite audiences to pack into the open-air theatre wrapped in their warmest Christmas jumpers and let loose their Christmas spirit. To celebrate the spirit of storytelling and the joy of gift-giving, audience members will also be invited to bring a new children’s book to put under the 13-foot Christmas tree on the Globe stage. Books will be donated to children’s charities across Southwark. The Globe Christmas tree has been kindly donated by the Embassy of Denmark, London.
The production will feature integrated BSL, and in a Globe first, will include a touch and scent tour for visually impaired patrons ahead of the Audio Described performance on Saturday 21 December.
Monday 23 september 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces three new writers-in-residence
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce three new writers-in-residence: Sami Ibrahim, Laura Lomas and Sabrina Mahfouz.The writers are taking part in the Globe’s inaugural ‘Scriptorium’, a new twelve-month residency for three playwrights which will see them create bespoke work for the outdoor Globe Theatre and indoor candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, culminating in a co-written production for the Globe Theatre to be staged in summer 2020.
Friday 12 July 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces 2019/20 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Season: She Wolves and Shrews
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the 2019/20 Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Season. Centred around She Wolves and Shrews, the season is a celebration and interrogation of women, power, and the role of the feminine in shaping our past, present and future.
Thursday 27 June 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for As You Like It
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, co-directed by Federay Holmes and Elle While, opening on Wednesday 7 August. The production returns to the Globe Theatre following a critically acclaimed run in summer 2018.
Thursday 13 June 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe celebrates founder Sam Wanamaker’s centenary with 2019 Sam Wanamaker Award and Sam Wanamaker Fellowship Lecture
The Globe is delighted to announce that Dr Diana Devlin is the recipient of this year’s Sam Wanamaker Award, marking the start of the Globe’s festivities to celebrate its founder Sam Wanamaker’s 100th birthday.
Diana receives the award in recognition of her pioneering support of the Globe for the past 47 years. She will also unveil her new biography of Sam, Sam Wanamaker: A Global Performer this evening, where she will give the annual Sam Wanamaker Fellowship Lecture to coincide with the book’s launch. Today also marks the start of the Wanamaker 100 campaign, in which the Globe will aim to raise £100,000 to support Sam’s legacy and continue his visionary work.
Wednesday 5 June 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces programme of events for ‘Shakespeare and Poland’, a new festival for 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the programme for ‘Shakespeare and Poland’, a ten-day festival opening on Wednesday 26 June. The festival of performances, music and panel discussions celebrates Poland’s affinity with Shakespeare and marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of artist, playwright and Shakespeare interpreter, Stanisław Wyspiański.
Shakespeare’s Globe has commissioned the first translation of Wyspianski’s seminal works, Hamlet Study and The Death of Ophelia, especially for the festival and The Death of Ophelia will receive its world premiere in English in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Tuesday 7 may 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe Annual Review: outlining activities from Spring 2018 – Spring 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe has announced that turnover for the year ending 31 October 2018 was £24 million, providing a surplus of £374,000 to be reinvested in the continuing development of the organisation.
The Globe continues to operate without public subsidy, and almost 90% of income is generated by mission-based and commercial activities, the remaining 10% garnered from corporate partnership support and donations. Theatre ticket sales and admission charges generate almost three quarters of income, yet over 40% percent of tickets are only £5.
Wednesday 17 April 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Sean Holmes. Sean joined the Globe as Associate Artistic Director after almost a decade as Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s evergreen comedy of chaos and order, opens on Friday 28 June in The Globe Theatre. Bottom will be played by Jocelyn Jee Esien, returning to the Globe following her titular role of Dr Faustus.
Tuesday 16 April 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces programme for new festival, ‘Women & Power’, featuring Clean Break, Winsom Pinnock, Sarah Frankcom and Donna Zuckerberg
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the programme for ‘Women & Power’, a new festival of events opening on Sunday 12 May 2018.
With performances, panel discussions, and a scholarly symposium, the festival will celebrate the work and voices of women of all backgrounds and will explore how the work of Shakespeare speaks to the current gender revolution, and how women can use Shakespearean performance to tell their own stories of oppression.
Wednesday 10 April 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for The Merry Wives of Windsor and Bartholomew Fair
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Elle While, and Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair, directed by Blanche McIntyre.
The Merry Wives of Windsor opens on Friday 17 May in The Globe Theatre. Bartholomew Fair opens on Friday 23 August in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The Merry Wives of Windsor will be broadcast live into cinemas from The Globe at 7.20pm on Thursday 20 June.
Wednesday 6 March 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe Archive: Theatres, Players & Performance Now Published Online
Archives from the world-renowned Shakespeare’s Globe are now available online, as part of a collaboration with award-winning primary source publisher, Adam Matthew Digital.
The archival materials in this collection offer a comprehensive insight into Sam Wanamaker’s dream reconstruction of the original 1599 Globe Theatre, as well as detailing the way in which this unique space was constructed as part of a radical theatrical experiment through which to examine the plays of William Shakespeare and others. Over 200 productions from 1997-2016 are documented through prompt books, wardrobe notes, music, performance photographs, programmes, publicity and marketing material, research, and show reports, giving researchers unprecedented access to the history of Shakespeare’s Globe.
Tuesday 5 February 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank: Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Romeo and Juliet. Michael Oakley returns to direct this full-scale, fast-paced production created especially for young people, which will open on Thursday 28 February until Wednesday 27 March. Over20,000 free ticketshave been allocated to state secondary schools in London and Birmingham, with thousands more students expected to watch the production during its run.
Monday 21 January 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Summer 2019 tour
Brendan O’Hea returns to direct Globe on Tour, where a company of eight actors will once again offer audiences around the world a trio of plays which this year explore the themes of refuge and displacement. Continuing last summer’s experiment, which revived the Shakespearean tradition of allowing audiences to vote for the play they’d like to see, this year’s audiences will cast their votes for The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night or Pericles, all stories of lost families, new homes, and what it means to belong. The tour will return to the Globe stage for Refugee Week (17 – 23 June) as part of a wider programme of events in which refugee artists, performers and audiences will all share their stories.
Wednesday 9 January 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe announces Summer Season 2019
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the Summer Season 2019. Celebrating and interrogating our ‘sceptred isle’ through Shakespeare’s history plays, a year-long journey begins with Richard II, opening 22 February in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, continuing into the Globe Theatre this summer with Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V. The season also includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair, and the return of 2018’s As You Like It. Robin Hood tales will form the core of the Read Not Dead series this year, and festivals throughout the summer include Women & Power and Poland is Hamlet. This year’s Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production will be Romeo and Juliet, opening on 28 February, with 20,000 free tickets available to state secondary schools. The Shakespeare’s Globe Touring Ensemble will once again present a trio of plays for the audience to choose from: The Comedy of Errors, Pericles, and Twelfth Night.
Tuesday 18 December 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Edward II and After Edward
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast for Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, directed by Nick Bagnall, and for Tom Stuart’s new play After Edward, directed by Brendan O’Hea.
Examining ancestral relationships and notions of identity, sexuality and power, Marlowe’s Edward II sees King Edward recall his lover, Gaveston, from banishment, setting in motion a chain of events that culminate in some of the most shocking scenes in early modern theatre. Tom Stuart’s new play After Edward, written specifically for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in response to Edward II, sees Edward return to the stage alone, bloodied and confused. He has no idea where he is, or how he got here, but he does have an ominous feeling that something is wrong.
Tuesday 30 October 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Oliver Chris’s Ralegh: The Treason Trial
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full cast of Ralegh: The Treason Trial, compiled, edited, dramatized and directed by Oliver Chris. A verbatim account of what played out on that extraordinary November morning in 1603, the production has been compiled and edited from sources present at the trial itself. It will premiere in Winchester Great Hall from Friday 16 November, the location of the original trial 415 years ago, before opening in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on Saturday 24 November for a limited one week run.
Friday 12 October 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Richard II, co-directed by Adjoa Andoh and Lynette Linton
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the full ensemble for Richard II, opening 22 February 2019. Who are we as a nation post-Empire and pre-Brexit, and how do we speak truth to power? Who made this country and how do we move forward together? As we wrestle with questions of identity and ownership, we turn to our greatest playwright to reflect on ‘This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England’ as staged by the first-ever company of women of colour in a Shakespeare play on a major UK stage. Co-directed by Adjoa Andoh and Lynette Linton, Adjoa will also play the titular role.
Thursday 4 October 2018
Merian Global investors announces partnership with Shakespeare’s Globe
Merian Global Investors has today revealed it will collaborate with Shakespeare’s Globe as the sole principal partner of its summer season, 2019.
Wednesday 19 September 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce casting for the Winter Season 2018, its plans for a year-long cycle of history plays from February 2019, and Globe Associates, to include Sean Holmes, who is to become Associate Artistic Director.
Michelle Terry, Artistic Director, said: “As the UK approaches its exit of the EU, our theatre will present a cycle of history plays, providing a unique opportunity to rediscover how Shakespeare perceived ‘this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England’. Richard II in this year’s Winter Season begins a year-long exploration of what our sceptered isle looks like now, presenting a journey through history via Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Richard III.
I am so proud to announce my core team of Associate Artists who will help guide and deliver on the season, as well as support the development and continuing exploration of The Globe Ensemble. The Ensemble allows us to truly explore the DNA of Shakespeare’s plays, all of which were written bespoke for a company of players and made for the architecture of our unique play houses. Most of the artists have worked with us in some capacity this season and I am so excited to welcome Sean Holmes to the Globe family. Sean’s unprecedented experience on Secret Theatre will provide invaluable insight into a process and a practice that is so important to me and to the work that we are experimenting with at Shakespeare’s Globe.”
Sean Holmes said: “Michelle’s vision for the Globe is exciting, inclusive and bold – focused on the centrality of ensemble and the honest and open relationship between actors and audience that it engenders. It’s an honour and a privilege to be invited to join Michelle’s team and to help deliver this vision in all its surprising, dynamic and enjoyable glory.”
Tuesday 4 September 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe launches podcast
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the launch today of Such Stuff, a brand-new podcast. Such Stuff is hosted by Artistic Director Michelle Terry, producer Imogen Greenberg and Head of Higher Education and Research Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper.
Tuesday 7 August 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Matt Hartley’s new play Eyam
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce full casting for Matt Hartley’s new play Eyam, directed by Adele Thomas, opening in The Globe on Saturday 15 September. When the plague arrives surprisingly in the Derbyshire village of Eyam in 1665, the community face a moral dilemma. They must decide whether to flee and risk spreading the vicious disease, or stay, protect others from the risk, and face the potential of their own slow and painful death.
Monday 30 July 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces winner of its 2018 Book Award
Musical Response in the Early Modern Playhouse, 1603-1625, by Simon Smith and published by Cambridge University Press (2017), is the winner of the 2018 Shakespeare’s Globe Book Award.
Monday 23 July 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces programme for festival ‘Shakespeare and Race’
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the programme for ‘Shakespeare and Race’, a new festival of events opening 11 August. This is the first time in the Globe’s twenty-year history that the topic will be explored in depth over a week.
Thursday 19 July 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Nick Bagnall’s Love’s Labour’s Lost
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce full casting for Nick Bagnall’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, opening in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on Thursday 23 August.
Wednesday 20 June 2018
International Rescue Committee and Shakespeare’s Globe release new short film for World Refugee Day starring Kim Cattrall, Lena Headey and Noma Dumezweni
The International Rescue Committee and Shakespeare’s Globe are delighted to release a new short film to mark World Refugee Day. A unique performance of Shakespeare’s speech ‘The Strangers’ Case’ from The Book of Sir Thomas More, the film features refugees from Syria, Sierra Leone and South Sudan alongside renowned actors including Kim Cattrall, Lena Headey, Noma Dumezweni and Jamael Westman in an expression of unity with all those who have fled conflict overseas.
Monday 18 June 2018
Shakespeare’s Globe announces Winter Season for 2018/19 in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce its Winter Season for 2018/19 in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Featuring two pairings of plays by William Shakespeare and his celebrated counterpart, Christopher Marlowe, this call and response season opens on 7 November 2018. Throughout the season we are also inviting today’s artists to examine, rework and elaborate on these 400-year-old provocations with new work written in response to Shakespeare and Marlowe.