The Lord Chamberlain's Men, the acting company that Shakespeare Belonged to, originally performed at a place named "The Theatre" on the outskirts of London. As their lease on this building came to a close, Richard Burbage bought the Blackfriars theatre, located in Upper Frater Hall. In 1598, however, after enduring complaints of their neighbors and a successful petition to the city fathers to keep the troupe out of Blackfriars, the company returned to The Theatre, moved the materials across Thames to Bankside, and proceeded to construct the Globe.

             Bankside used to be the entertainment center of London. It was the home to the brothels, bear and bull baiting amphitheaters, and four theatres- The Hope, The Swan, The Rose, and The Globe. Of these, The Globe is the most famous because it was owned by the comany that Shakespeare beloned to and also it was where Shakespeare's greatest plays were first performed.

             The glory of the Globe was suspended in 1613. It was burnt down after an ember from a cannon fired during a performance of Henry VIII, it set the roof alight. In less than an hour, The Globe was burned to the ground. However, the second Globe was rebuilt in 1614.

             This new Globe continued operating as a theatre until 1642, when it was closed down as part of the Puritan ban on places of public entertainment. In 1644, it was finally demolished and housing was built on this site.

             People today want to know what the Globe was like but nothing of it now remains above the ground. However, after the discovery of the remains of the Rose in January 1989, archaeologists managed to located the Globe and to dig up approximately 5% of the foundations of the playhouse. Unfortunately, most of the foundations lie under Anchor Terrace, a nineteenth century listed building, and only radar exploration is now possible.

             A late American actor and director Sam Wannamaker saw the beginning of construction on a new Globe theatre near the site of the original.