News

Peter McCurdy of McCurdy & Co, gave an extremely interesting talk on the construction of the Globe Theatre in London to well attended audience of almost 30 delegates at the Council Chamber in Cotswold District Council offices in Cirencester on Thursday 16th February 2012.

This talk was illustrated by a slideshow demonstrating the historical aspects of the construction of the original Globe Theatre by Peter Street, Architect and Carpenter in 1599 for the playing company Lord Chamberlain's Men", to which Shakespeare belonged.

Peter explained that Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based on available evidence of the 1599 and 1614 buildings. It was founded by the actor and director Sam Wanamaker and built approximately 230 metres (750 ft) from the site of the original theatre. The theatre was opened to the public in 1997, with a production of Henry V. The site also includes a reconstruction of the Blackfriars Theatre.

The historical research that was needed to undertake the design and construction of Shakespeare's Globe together with various other historical structures was explained in a very informed manner.  Peter has been actively involved with a variety of timber framed buildings which needed careful historical research in order to restore any missing elements that had been removed over time.

The evening's talk concluded with open questions being taken by Peter from the floor.

A special vote of thanks should be given to Richard Jones (Gloucestershire Centre Committee Member) who is a Building Control Officer at Cotswold District Council for arranging the venue and refreshments.

The meeting closed with a vote of thanks for Peter McCurdy's presentation.