Globe Reservations?

It will be some time after the current summer season finishes in mid-October, probably December at some point. I can't give an exact time. Shakespeare plays tend to sell out very rapidly. New plays usually have tickets available until the first performance, at which point if there are good reviews and/or buzz they sell out fast. (New plays will also sell out fast if they have big name actors in, or if they are by Howard Brenton and not about plastic surgery.)

A note on being a groundling. It is fun and you have probably the best views of the stage of anybody. However...
- You will get rained on if there is bad weather, and you are not allowed umbrellas as they take up too much space and block other people's views. Bring warm and waterproof clothing.
- You must stand all the way through the performance except the interval - no sitting on the ground and especially no folding chairs or shooting sticks. Don't book a groundling ticket unless you are able to stand up for three hours without health problems. Similarly don't book a groundling ticket for an evening performance and spend all day beforehand walking around the city - not a good idea.

Wow, what great information. I'm always impressed with the answers I get to questions on this site. I'll start checking back at the Globe website when this season is over. And thanks for the groundling tips.

Jane

Jane, I am not sure exactly when the tickets for next summer's season at the Globe will go on sale. Some theatres have the option for you to sign up for email alerts. While I'm not certain the Globe does this, they may, and it might be a way to get an alert/reminder of when tickets will go on sale, as well as season announcements.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to see a Globe cinema broadcast. We've seen a few of these and they have all been excellent; likewise the National Theatre broadcasts. This might be a fun way to get a feel for a Globe performance, before you go.

I have attended a performance at the Globe only once, last fall, when in London with my husband, aunt, and cousin. We bought two seats and two groundling tickets; my aunt stayed seated, I remained standing, and the other two switched off. My husband and cousin both said they strongly preferred standing to sitting. If you do get seats, be sure you rent the cushions. I am short (not quite 5'2"), have some hearing loss, and was in the middle of the crowd. I had no difficulty seeing or hearing the action; the theatre is not that large. I think they do not permit umbrellas so I'd have a waterproof jacket with a hood, just in case.

Be sure to check the Globe's gift shop as they have some excellent stuff for sale. My cousin is very happy with his Groundling t-shirt!

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Thank you! My DH would love to have a groundling tee shirt!

Tickets went on sale Feb 9th for the Apr 27th opening weekend shows this year. Check the web site about 6 months in advanced and it should tell you when tickets will be available. My guess is you will have to wait until Feb 2016 to purchase tickets for the 2016 season. I booked mine online and they mailed the tickets to my house in Texas.

DJ

When we went two years ago I set my phone alarm to go off as soon as the tickets went on sale for the season...it was sometime around Feb - March if I remember correctly. Keep checking back every few weeks or so and they will eventually post the date on their website.
If you want the best choice of seats buy them as soon as you can the day they go on sale. They sell out quickly and any left are usually not great seats, some with obstructed views.
I really don't like being a groundling except that you can be right at the edge of the stage with the actors shoes right in front of your face! It is a fun experience and cheaper than the seats but you have to stand through the entire performance. Did it once...that was enough!
If you can, my favorite seats are the ones in the center on the first or second tier.
I like getting there a little early and buying dinner in the forecourt, having a Pimms, and enjoying the ambiance.

Thanks, everyone. I now know when to start checking the website. Anita, your advice is probably right on, in terms of where to sit and when to arrive. After reading some of the comments, DH said last night, "Well, maybe we don't need to be groundlings!"

Sign up for the online Globe newsletter. Will help you discover when the 2016 seats go on sale and what plays will be staged. http://www.shakespearesglobe.com

GREAT experience there 3 years ago so yes, book your seats when they go on sale. We sat in section E 3 rows up. Excellent views.

Great idea, Claudia. I'll sign up right away. Thanks.

What seats are obstructed? I just checked their site and although they have a "few" tickets, I don't see a way of knowing if those seats have an obstructed view. Anyone have information on this?

The obstructed ones are the ones with the cheapest prices :-)

If you go to the Globe's website, click on "buy tickets," and then select a particular performance and date, once you get into the seating plan, the seats with obstructed views are marked as such when you mouse over/select them. It will also show you the prices, as well as tell you how many seats remain in a section.

We went to a play, Richard II last month at the globe. I'd forgotten that all of the seats were backless benches EXCEPT the top perimeter rows which aren't very far from the stage at all, it's a very shallow theater. It might be worth it to request the "wall" row if you call or can select from a seating chart online. Some people brought stadium backrest seats. The theater offers cushions to rent for 1 pound each. There are vigilant ushers who keep the groundlings from sitting during the performance.

We just walked up and purchased 2 tickets for a play that week. A couple of other times we've called when the tickets 1st go on sale (about February) because we were purchasing a large quantity of tickets.

My daughter and I went to the Globe on Sept 7th, and I booked the tickets no more than 2 weeks in advance, but they were probably the last 2 seats that were together. We were in a balcony with only 6 other people, comfy, except daughter underestimated how chilly she would be. Fortunately the staff guy was loaning blankets out. Our view was a little obstructed by a big pillar on the stage, but it was rare that it was a real problem. The higher up balcony seats are accessed by doors off of this big outdoor patio that has the best view of St Paul's. That patio also sold food and drink.
It was easy to pick up our tickets at the desk when we arrived, no big lines.
The one thing I would mention is that although we arrived by taxi on the side street, when the play let out, there were no taxis to be found on that street. An older lady told us if we went up on the bridge, we would find taxis there. My daughter wasn't really dressed for all that, so we ate dinner at the one restaurant that was open (great Albanian restaurant), and asked them to call a cab for us. You might want to ask your taxi driver to come back for you, if that's what you choose to use.
We learned from another attendee in a wheelchair that there IS a lift, it is backstage, so she got an extra tour that we didn't get (lots of steps up to the balcony).
Daughter was glad she was not a groundling, cuz we saw Much Ado About Nothing, and there was a scene where water was poured on one of the cast members who "hid" down in with all the groundlings. So even though it did not rain, some people got wet anyway.
I also bought a monocular for $11 by Celestron on Amazon so we could see better. It came in handy for the Whole trip, including seeing plane and train departure boards at a distance, and inside of Windsor Castle. My daughter loved being able to see the details of the Globe's roof and everything.
The play we saw had costumes that looked out of the 1940s, so the plays are not all in period costumes. That was unexpected.
Over all, a good experience.
-Alison

Thanks, Alison, for the review. Sounds like you kept your sense of humor and your sense of perspective, both necessary for travel!

I hope this comment does not come off as too negative, just from experience.

1. Do book at ticket at the back (any level) since you will get a wall to sit back against. Just by serendipity we booked these even though they were the cheapest seats because a post occasionally obstructed the view.

2. Obstructed view is not really that big a deal.

3. If it rains you will hear a 90 second crinkle-crinkle-crinkle symphony of 350 plastic ponchos being put on and miss any dialogue. Ditto when it stops raining. Repeat cycle 3 or 4 times during performance.

4. You may have to fend off a groundling squeezing onto the end of your row and have a rather ugly confrontation about getting that person to return to the floor. Happened to us.

5. All in all it is kind of like watching a great movie on an airplane. You keep wishing for better circumstances to enjoy it more fully. It's not like Shakespeare would have chosen the Globe over a modern theater with excellent lighting and acoustics had he been given the choice.

6. On the other hand it is an amazing space to at least see. Some performance tickets are cheaper than a tour ticket.

My recommendation would be to become a Friend of the Globe. It's not that expensive, you get a great magazine and you can purchase your tickets before they go on sale to the public. Seeing Shakespeare at the Globe is amazing. You will never think of Shakespeare's plays in the same way again. YES, stand in the pit! It's only 5 pounds (app. $8) and totally worth it! By standing you are already "activated", as I tell my students. You aren't sitting down and waiting for the performers to involve you, you are already part of the action. The real pros run in and get right next to the stage so they can interact with the actors. Really! If you do sit down, I'd recommend the lower level and you can go into the pit if you want. Also, if sitting, rent the backrest! It's benches w/ no backrests! Those seats only cost 2 pennies in the Renaissance! I'd recommend the OP, Original Production, performances, everything as it was in Shakespeare's time, except for maybe women but sometimes all men, too.

If it rains and you're a groundling you can purchase a cheap plastic poncho in the gift shop. Don't miss the gift shop! And right downstream is a nice Greek restaurant and on down is the Anchor Pub and Wagamama.

Thanks, John and Tom. I'll check into the Friend of the Globe membership. And Tom, it wasn't too negative; we all want to know the things that are less than wonderful along with the magical parts.

Jane: Also, if you go to a matinee at the Globe it is like a huge picnic after the interval/intermission. A large percentage of people are unwrapping burgers and sandwiches and slurping through straws for the first 20 minutes of the performance. If you are used to Shakespeare getting the sacred scripture treatment the Globe is quite the contrast to that.