To stream or not to stream, that is the question.
Of course, if you’re asking, the answer is definitely “to stream.” The iconic Globe Theatre in London now makes it possible for people to enjoy the world-class William Shakespeare productions for which it’s known from anywhere in the world.
For all the wannabe or faraway showgoers out there, the Globe has pre-recorded tapings of many of its past plays, including “Twelfth Night” with Stephen Fry and Mark Rylance, “The Tempest,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Hamlet,” and — of course — “Romeo and Juliet.” Overall, there are about 25 productions available on the theater’s online streaming service, Globe Player.
The service was created amid the coronavirus pandemic, which threatened to close the Globe — and countless other playhouses around the world — permanently. A reconstruction of the original “wooden O” built by Shakespeare’s own Elizabethan playing company in the 1600s, the cultural landmark would normally have no problem packing its 360-degree auditorium for oft celebrity-studded performances. With no one passing through its doors from March 2020 to May 2021, however, the Globe Player became one of the playhouse’s only artistic outlets and moneymakers — gaining some 133,000 subscribers and millions of people tuning into free performances.
Not only are these productions incredibly entertaining for any audience member, but they are also valuable educational content for students.
For more information, visit the Globe Player website.
