The Globe (and other Tudor Playhouses!)

Today, I continued my random acts of nerdiness by visiting Shakespeare's Globe and feeling like a kid in a candy store.  :)  I knew that sometimes photos are not allowed within the theatre itself due to rehearsals, so I planned to arrive for the first tour in order to beat the actors...unfortunately, I managed to get off the Tube at the wrong stop (I was sure it was "Tower Hill" but it was actually "London Bridge") after taking a long ride around due to closures.  It actually turned out to be a great mistake, because I was able to walk along the bankside in the cool morning with very few other people around.  Oddly enough, one of the big things I noticed was that I could actually smell the sea-like air, which is usually covered by the smell of tobacco...but since I was the only one out, I did not have to worry about that.  It was so peaceful and quiet, with just a few early joggers out and about...the city is still asleep at 10:00 on Sundays.  I made my way to the Globe with about fifteen minutes until the next tour, so I strolled through the exhibition while I waited.  The tour contained primarily information that I already knew, but it was still enjoyable.  The space itself is so beautiful, and I had such a wonderful time at "The Comedy of Errors" a few weeks ago, so it definitely has a warm, happy aura about it.  The exhibition itself focused equally on establishing the world of Shakespeare's era as well as elements specific to this particular theatre.  The south bank was constantly described in detail as an area of ill repute right up to the point in which the Puritans shut things down.  The last part of the exhibition was particularly interesting, in which they described Sam Wanamaker's efforts to have the Globe rebuilt.  Following my exploration of the displays, I went on the other tour (much less popular: there were only three of us total on this one!) to the site of the original Globe as well as two other theatres in the area: The Swan and The Rose.  The Globe site is actually rather sad; right now, it is an open courtyard which is partially covered by an apartment building (which was made with concrete foundations, rendering excavation impossible).  According to our tour guide, most of the people who are really interested in preserving a space such as this would not be able to anyway, as they cannot afford to live in the area.  Similarly, the site of The Swan (best known as a bear-baiting arena) is now a large building, but is gradually being converted into a rehearsal space for the actors at The Globe.  A building now surrounds the excavation site of The Rose, which is under water currently.  Now that The Globe is fully constructed, The Rose is the next large project, and they are attempting to continue excavation and eventually build a glass stage atop the original site (making the archeological site visible beneath the stage).  It was pretty incredible to see how close these three theatres actually were...they literally all fall within one city block of each other (which also explains the extreme rivalry between them..."A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is actually a sarcastic comment meant for the other playhouse and it's proximity to the open sewer, and yet we consider it one of the most romantic quotations ever written!).

After I had tea and visited the giftshop (the whole time attempting to resist buying an "Out Damned Spot" tea towel...I know, I'm a dork...), I decided to walk back the way I came.  The bankside was not incredibly busy, but still starkly different from the peaceful walk I took on my way to the Globe.  It was also much hotter outside...it had been an overcast morning, but the afternoon was bright and sunny.  I walked back past the Tower of London (where it became pretty crowded with tourists), then thought that I would cross Tower Bridge back to the southbank again and see what was around on the other side off the beaten path.  I walked for a while, eventually stumbling upon a church with a large courtyard that was shaded and smelled heavily of roses...I might have to stumble back that way another day.  As inconvenient as my becoming lost can be at times, I have seen so much of the city just by wandering in the wrong direction, and today, for the first time, I opted to just keep walking...so I suppose that the roses were my reward for being curious.  :)