Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Indoor theatre at Shakespeare's Globe, Southwark, England.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is an indoor theatre at Shakespeare's Globe featuring wooden benches arranged in a sunken pit and two galleries that accommodate roughly 340 spectators. The layout creates closeness between the stage and audience members seated throughout the space.
Construction of this theatre began in the 1990s as part of the broader Globe complex development, though it remained incomplete until later funding allowed the interior to be finished. This enabled year-round performances at the site.
The theatre stages works from the English Renaissance period, lit by the glow of beeswax candles in wall sconces. Performances here offer visitors a sense of how theatre was experienced during that historical era.
The venue operates mainly from October to April, filling the quieter months for the outdoor Theatre. Visitors should bring warm clothing since the space relies on candlelight and lacks heating systems.
The theatre's design draws from 17th-century drawings discovered at Worcester College, Oxford, representing the earliest known plans for an English playhouse. These historical sketches guided the modern reconstruction and enabled a faithful recreation of the original architecture.
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