Theatre
Bankside was in actual fact London's original West End. During Elizabethan and Jacobean times this kind of entertainment was not allowed within the City on the north shore of the river Thames.
There were four theatres in Bankside - The Rose, The Swan, The Globe and The Hope, which doubled up as bear rings for the bear-baiting, another form of entertainment of the time. The Rose was the earliest Bankside playhouse and is better known for its connections with Christopher Marlowe than Shakespeare. The remains of The Rose were discovered during an archaeological dig, and are preserved under a layer of sand and water in a building marked by a Blue Plaque along Park Street, west of Southwark Bridge.
It is The Globe that is the most celebrated of the Bankside theatres because it was part-owned by William Shakespeare and many of his plays were performed there.
A faithful reconstruction of The Globe, founded by the American Sam Wanamaker, can be found on the Bankside riverside, not far from the Globe's original site on Park Street, just east of Southwark Bridge (look out for the interpretation boards).
Today's Shakespeare's Globe gives visitors a chance to see Elizabethan and Jacobean plays in their original context: daylight open-air performances, few props and a standing audience who were referred to as 'the groundlings' and who are encouraged to interact with the performance.
[Information taken from The Story of Bankside by Leonard Reilly and Geoff Marshall]
Young Vic Theatre
One of the country's leading homes for younger theatre artist's especially directors. The theatre present's seasons of works by new directors in tandem with productions with some of the great directors of the world. Go
Union Theatre
This theatre, owned by Sasha Leask, hosts a wide range of events, plays, musicals, local art exhibitions and a youth theatre. Go
Menier Chocolate Factory
Built in the 1870's to house a chocolate factory, this historical building has now been converted into a leading arts complex which includes a gallery, restaurant and theatre. Go
