(Online) things to do this January & February 2021
We may be stuck indoors this New Year, but there’s a host of digital ways to stay active and engaged with Shakespeare’s Globe
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more… Yet again we find ourselves in the throes of a national lockdown here in the UK, with what should have been a bright beginning for the New Year before us. We know this is a difficult, troubling and lonely time for many. That’s why we hope we can bring some joy to your January & February with a range of activities you can partake in online here at the Globe – either individually, part of your household bubble, or with friends over Zoom. Here’s a reminder of all the ways you can stay connected with us.
Our physical site may be closed to the public during this time, but we’re always open online.
Explore the Globe Theatre virtually
You may not currently be able to step foot in our Globe Theatre, but did you know you can tour our wooden ‘O’ virtually? Walk around the Globe with our virtual tour and 360 iOS app, a free interactive experience with photos, videos and audible delights to guide you along the way.
You can also find out everything you need to know about our reconstructed Globe Theatre, which officially opened in 1997, on our dedicated theatre page. For example, the Globe Theatre may look like a circle, but it’s actually an icosagon, a 20 sided polygon. There’s a fun fact for your next Zoom quiz!
We have over 50 Globe productions on our on-demand video platform, Globe Player, including The Duchess of Malfi with Gemma Arterton in the title role. Photographer: Mark Douet.
Watch theatre productions online
We’re all missing live theatre – that connection between performer and audience, that rawness, that atmosphere – whilst we’re currently not staging any new productions, you can relive some of our highlights over the past 12 years with our video-on-demand service, Globe Player.
Gather your household or sync a viewing with friends across the world for a night of jollity with Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in our original practices Twelfth Night, intimacy and corruption with Gemma Arterton in the candlelit The Duchess of Malfi, a riotous festival with Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or political intrigue with Michelle Terry as Hamlet.
Play on the big screen in your living room and stand for the entire performance, and you’ve (kind of) recreated the experience of being a Groundling!
Delve into Educational resources for at home learning
Lockdown sees the return of homeschooling or online teaching – parents and teachers the world over, we raise our hats to you. If you need a helping hand with Shakespeare resources to use in your home and virtual classroom, we have some incredible options on offer!
Our Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Romeo and Juliet, created especially for young people, is still available to watch on YouTube, for free, and is a fast-paced, action-packed 90 minute introduction to one of Shakepeare’s most popular plays on the syllabus. What’s more, we also have a host of free resources to go hand-in-hand with the production: from explorations in the themes, language and characters in the play, to videos and behind-the-scenes insights into the production.
You can also explore previous Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank microsites and resources from the last ten years, as well as our Teach Shakespeare website full of lesson plans, extracts and more to stimulate growing minds.
Our Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Romeo and Juliet, created especially for young people and students, is still available to watch until the end of February. Photographer: Cesare de Giglio
Entertain your little’uns with the Globe Playground
Need to keep the little monsters entertained indoors? The Globe Playground playfully introduces Shakespeare to Primary-aged children, with the help of some characterful beasts!
We have a range of activities, including games, puzzles, recipes, colouring in and more, plus a host of fun facts, backstage videos, and animations, for children aged 5-11 to get creative.
Introduce younger children to Shakespeare with various activities as part of our Globe Playground.
Develop your skills with our workshops and courses
This month sees the return of our Continued Professional Development sessions for teachers with four workshops offering practical toolkits on teaching Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, anti-racist Shakespeare and Shakespeare at Primary School level.
Later in February, The Studio returns for professional actors, with an online three-hour workshop on the principles of performance at the Globe: with practical exercises on how to explore and play with Shakespeare’s texts for our unique spaces.
Distract yourself from the doom and gloom of the news with articles on our blog and episodes of our podcast, Such Stuff. Photographer: Helen Murray.
Read articles on our blog
Stop doom-scrolling, and get a daily dose of media that isn’t necessarily related to what’s going on in the world right now. Here on our website, our blog shares stories on Shakespeare, his life and works; his connections to popular culture; as well as the latest research and news from the Globe.
Listen to the latest episodes of our podcast
We’re continuing to cook up new episodes of our podcast, Such Stuff – subscribe via your usual podcast platform to receive notifications of the latest conversations.
In the meantime, you can catch up on all previous episodes, where we explore the themes behind our work, discuss Shakespeare’s impact and ask questions about programming, gender, race and more.
Get social
Lockdown can be a lonely, isolating time, especially if you live on your own. If you need someone to talk to, we’re online weekdays Monday to Friday (mostly during the day) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – tell us your favourite Shakespeare play, what you’re currently reading or watching, or even just say hello, we love to hear from you!
