Hark! The Pop-up Globe is Returning to Auckland

The Bard's Yard is back.
Stephen Heard
October 25, 2016

After speculation that it was going to head overseas on a whirlwind tour, it's been announced that the Pop-up Globe will once again return for the Auckland summer.

In its debut season this year the full scale replica of the second Globe Theatre attracted more than 100,000 people to watch a full programme of Shakespeare's best in downtown Auckland. The structure is identical to the Globe built on London's South Bank in 1614. Though in this case, the three-storey building is constructed from simple, reusable materials: scaffolding, plywood and paint. It seats 1000 theatregoers over three tiers and includes standing room in the 'yard' to recreate the experience of a night out at the 16th century theatre.

As well as its new home at Ellerslie Racecourse, the re-birthed structure boasts additions like a new three-storey Jacobean stage front, hand-painted ceiling and a larger stage. It comes complete with a pop-up bar and restaurant. Performances scheduled for the 2017 season will be held seven nights a week, with productions of Shakespearean comedies Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It, bloody war epic Henry V, and psychological thriller Othello.

The Pop-up Globe 2017 will run from February 23 to May 14, 2017. Visit www.popupglobe.co.nz for more information.

Published on October 25, 2016 by Stephen Heard
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