Globe Theatre Fire
Interesting information about
the Globe Theatre Fire during the life and times of William Shakespeare of Elizabethan London, England
Globe Theatre Fire
The Globe Theatre was
built in 1599. Staging theatre productions had become more
elaborate since the days when the first 'Theatre' had been
built. Competition between the rival theatres was fierce.
Each theatre wanted to attract as many people as possible to
each performance. Costumes improved and so did the props!
There were no health and safety regulations - and no safety
inspections. There were no such things as fire extinguishers
- there was not even a fire brigade in London, or
fire-fighters. The only means to fight a Globe theatre fire
was to use wooden or leather fire buckets, fill them with
water, and try to douse the blaze.
Globe Theatre Fire - Why the
Globe was a fire risk
The Globe theatre was
built predominantly of timber and had a thatched roof. The interior was
also made of wooden structures. There were three tiers of roofed
galleries with balconies and the seats in each of the three levels of
galleries were tiered with three rows of wooden benches which increased
in size towards the back, following the shape of the structure of the
building. An audience of 1500 people attended the Globe theatre plays.
There were no planned controls for evacuation in the event of fire. The
Globe Theatre constituted an accident which was about to happen - a real
fire hazard. As we know the props improved - more spectacular effects
were required. Someone had the idea of using a live cannon...
Date of the Globe Theatre Fire
and the accident
The Globe Theatre had used
a cannon for several years.
A canon had been used for
special effects for several years without any problems. The cannon was
situated inside the roof, in the attic above the "Heavens" in close
proximity to the thatched roof. The cannon was used to create a dramatic
special effect such as heralding great entrances especially in the plays
which were about an event in history. The cannon was loaded with
gunpowder and wadding.
The Globe theatre fire accident
occurred
on 29 June 1613. The
canon was fired during a performance of a play about King Henry VIII.
Sparks from the cannon fire landed on the thatched roof starting a
massive fire.
Eye witness account of Sir
Henry Wotton on the Globe Theatre Fire
An
eye-witness account account of the fire is given by Sir Henry
Wotton, in a letter dated July 2, 1613.
"... I will
entertain you at the present with what happened this week at the Banks
side. The King's players had a new play called All is True, representing
some principal pieces of the reign of Henry the Eighth, which set forth
with many extraordinary circumstances of pomp and majesty even to the
matting of the stage; the knights of the order with their Georges and
Garter, the guards with their embroidered coats, and the like:
sufficient in truth within awhile to make greatness very familiar, if
not ridiculous. Now King Henry making a Masque at the Cardinal Wolsey's
house, and certain cannons being shot off at his entry, some of the
paper or other stuff, wherewith one of them was stopped, did light on
the thatch, where being thought at first but idle smoak, and their eyes
more attentive to the show, it kindled inwardly, and ran round like a
train, consuming within less than an hour the whole house to the very
ground. This was the fatal period of that virtuous fabrick, wherein yet
nothing did perish but wood and straw, and a few forsaken cloaks; only
one man had his breeches set on fire, that would perhaps have broyled
him, if he had not by the benefit of a provident wit, put it out with a
bottle of ale."
Eye witness account of Mr. John
Chamberaine on the Globe Theatre Fire
The Globe theatre fire
would have spread very quickly as the building and interior was made of
wood. To get to the stairs the members of the audience would walk behind
the wooden benches through each of the galleries. The original Globe
Theatre
was widely believed to
have had one entrance, but this was an error. A letter of Mr. John
Chamberlaine to Sir Ralph Winwood, dated July 8, 1613, states that the
theatre had two doors.
"The burning of
the Globe or playhouse on the Bankside on St. Peter's day cannot escape
you; which fell out by a peal of chambers, (that I know not upon what
occasion were to be used in the play,) the tampin or stopple of one of
them lighting in the thatch that covered the house, burn'd it down to
the ground in less than two hours, with a dwelling-house adjoyning; and
it was a great marvaile and a fair grace of God that the people had so
little harm, having but two narrow doors to get out."
The meaning of the words
tampin or stopple is a plug or cover for the muzzle of a cannon to keep
out dust and moisture.
Facts about the Globe Theatre
Fire
The above eye witness accounts provide more information and facts about
the cause and effects of the Globe Theatre fire.
-
The Globe Theatre Fire
occurred during a performance of
a new play
called All is True ( perhaps this play was re-named Henry
VIII and credited to William Shakespeare in the First Folio
)
-
There were
several cannons used
-
That cannons
were being shot off at the point in the play which describes
the entry of King Henry attending a Masque at Cardinal
Wolsey's house
-
Tampin or
stopple (a plug or cover for the muzzle of a cannon to keep
out dust and moisture) set the thatched roof on fire
-
The Globe
Theatre audience first ignored the fire, believing it was
just smoke from the cannon
-
The fire first
kindled inwardly, and ran round like a train, consuming
within less than an hour the whole house to the very ground
- the other account states it was burnt in less than two
hours
-
Only one man
had his breeches set on fire which he put out with a bottle
of ale
-
The
Globe Theatre had two narrow doors by which the audience got
out - perhaps one was the main entrance door and the other
was an exit door
-
No mention is
made of any deaths or serious injuries
"it
was a great marvaile and a fair grace of God that the people
had so little harm"
-
Interesting
facts, history and information about Globe Theatre Fire
Globe Theatre Fire casualties
The Globe theatre fire
would have spread very quickly as the building and interior was made of
wood. To get to the stairs the members of the audience would walk behind
the wooden benches through each of the galleries.
There must have been considerable panic to get out of the building - there
were no planned controls for evacuation. There are no records of a
death toll or the exact number of casualties or types of injury, but the
eye-witness accounts indicate this is because there none!.
In 1614 the Globe Theatre was rebuilt
which is often referred to
as the Globe Theatre 2.
Globe Theatre Fire
Interesting Facts and information
about the Globe Theatre Fire.
Additional details, facts and information about the
Globe Theatre can be accessed via the Globe Theatre Sitemap.
|
