The Globe Theatre was rebuilt in 1614 because it had burned to the ground the previous year. On June 29, 1613, a special effects cannon misfired during a performance, igniting the thatched roof and destroying the entire building. The theatre’s acting company, the King’s Men, moved quickly to reconstruct it on the same site, completing the new Globe by early 1614 at a cost of £1,400.
The Fire That Destroyed the First Globe
The fire started during only the third performance of a new play called All Is True, a history about Henry VIII co-written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. In Act 1, a cannon was fired as a sound effect to mark the entrance of King Henry at Cardinal Wolsey’s house. The cannon launched burning wadding (the packing material used to load it) into the air, where wind carried it into the thatched roof overhead. The highly flammable straw caught fire immediately, and the theatre burned to the ground rapidly. Remarkably, no one was killed.
The original Globe had been built in 1599 and could hold up to 3,000 people. It was the primary venue for Shakespeare’s company and one of the most famous playhouses in London. Losing it was a serious financial and cultural blow, but the King’s Men had both the resources and the motivation to rebuild.
What Changed in the Rebuilt Theatre
The second Globe went up on the same site in Southwark, south of the Thames, and was finished by February 1614. The company used the reconstruction as a chance to make key improvements. The most obvious safety upgrade: the new roof was tiled instead of thatched, eliminating the fire risk that had destroyed the first building.
The rebuild wasn’t just a safety fix. With £1,400 to spend (a substantial sum at the time), the King’s Men decorated the new Globe far more extravagantly than the original. The pillars were painted to resemble Italian marble, the ceiling above the stage was painted midnight blue, and images of gods overlooked the balcony. The stage itself was redesigned to run the full width of the yard rather than being rectangular, and the machine house used for special effects and set changes was made larger.
The overall structure kept the same general shape: roughly 30 metres in diameter with 20 sides, giving it the circular appearance the Globe was known for. The rectangular stage still projected about halfway into the standing area, surrounded by tiered galleries.
Why Rebuilding Made Sense
The King’s Men were the most successful theatre company in London, performing regularly for royalty and the public alike. The Globe was their open-air summer venue, essential to their business. They already held the land in Southwark, and the audience demand was there. Rebuilding on the same spot was the fastest path back to regular performances and revenue.
Shakespeare himself was a shareholder in the company and would have had a financial stake in the reconstruction, though by 1614 he was spending most of his time in Stratford-upon-Avon and nearing the end of his career.
How Long the Second Globe Lasted
The rebuilt Globe operated successfully for nearly three decades, remaining one of the most popular playhouses on Bankside. It stayed open until 1642, when Parliament ordered the closure of all theatres in London at the onset of the English Civil War. The Puritan-led government viewed theatrical performances as immoral, and the closures were part of a broader crackdown on public entertainment. The building was eventually demolished around 1644, and the site was converted to other uses.
The Globe would not return to London’s landscape until 1997, when a modern reconstruction opened near the original location, built using Elizabethan construction techniques and, fittingly, a thatched roof once again.