June 29: Fire Destroys the Globe Theatre (1613)
Prayer Idea
Pray for actors, stagehands, playwrights, musicians, and others involved with live theater performances.
History Note
Attending plays was a popular form of entertainment in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright from that period remembered today. Other prominent dramatists were Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, Ben Jonson, and John Webster.
Shakespeare collaborated with others to construct the Globe Theatre just outside London in 1599. Shakespeare wrote several of his plays to take advantage of the specific features of that theatre.
During a performance of Henry VIII on June 29, 1613, a cannon fired in the theatre as part of the production. Sparks from the cannon caught the thatch roof on fire, and the building quickly burned to the ground. Everyone was able to evacuate the building safely. One man’s trousers caught on fire, but he only suffered minor injury before putting out the flames.
The owners reconstructed the Globe Theatre the next year, and it operated until 1642. When the Puritan government of Oliver Cromwell came to power, they shut down all theatres, and the Globe was demolished.
American actor Sam Wanamaker led an effort to build a new version of the Globe Theatre, which opened for performances in 1997.
This 1616 illustration shows an area south of the River Thames with two buildings used for entertainment. The Globe Theatre is the three-story building in the foreground on the right side of the image. The Bear Garden on the left side was a venue for animal fights between dogs and bears or bulls. Queen Elizabeth also enjoyed this form of entertainment.
Learn More
This video summarizes the history of The Globe.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
