Shakespeare classics reimagined for Globe summer season

Throughout the summer the Globe Theatre will host adaptations of Shakespeare’s classic plays, including Much Ado About Nothing and lesser-known productions in the iconic 1,570 capacity open-air theatre.

Groups can see productions at the Globe Theatre as part of a guided tour exploring the stagecraft, history of the wooden theatre including how the original 1599 theatre survived the plague, fire and political oppression and rose again in the 1990s. 

Guided tours can be booked for groups of up to 30 people with a discounted ticket rate and special dining options at the Swan Bar & Restaurant.

What’s on

The summer season will open on 23rd April with a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will run at the open-air theatre until 23rd August. Directed by Emily Lim, Shakespeare’s classic tale follows a group of giddy lovers chasing desire and connection through a moonlit forest as they collide with playful spirits in a fairy realm where anything is possible.

On 7th May, Mother Courage and Her Children starring Michelle Terry (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet) will begin performances until 27th June. The anti-war production will be the first written by Bertolt Brecht to be performed on stage at the Globe Theatre and tells the story of Mother Courage, who has learnt to make a living from war, and will sell whatever’s left of humanity to keep herself and her children alive.

Shakespeare’s iconic Much Ado About Nothing returns from 11th June to 24th October. Directed by Chelsea Walker, the romantic comedy set in Messina follows Beatrice who has sworn off men, but there is something about Benedick she can’t ignore. Much Ado About Nothing is an unfiltered look at bad behaviour, second chances, and recovering from old wounds.

Directed by Indiana Lown-Collins, a flamenco-inspired production of Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost will run from 17th July to 13th September. Passion, power, and poetry collide as four women arrive in Navarre on a diplomatic mission, testing the devotion of the King and his lords whose vows are undone by love, desire, and wit. 

The summer season will conclude with As You Like It. Co-directed by Sean Holmes and Charlie Josephine, the new production of Shakesepare’s story will play the Globe Theatre from 14th August to 25th October, bringing the story of Rosalind, Celia, and their friends who escape the cold and cruel Duke’s court to the Forest of Arden.