Theatre and theatre buildings were businesses in Elizabethan times, and, much like television today, politics and creativity found its way into the channels opened up by financial success. Theatre became a place where people could hear all of the latest views on current events, as well as traditional beliefs. As John Orrell describes:
In the 1590's, the experience of playgoing became not just a novelty for idle afternoons but a central feature of London life. The plays served as the newspapers of the day, staging versions of the latest battle across the channel or the latest sensational murder. They could draw crowds of a size and disposition never before seen in any city in Europe, and they could promote public debates about questions which had never before had a forum. (Orrell, 14)
A perfect example of how this could be utilized may be found in action by the Earl of Essex. The Earl's supporters paid Shakespeare's company to perform Richard II the day before the rebellion, in order to remind Londoners about the story of a King deposed by his subjects for wrongdoing. Essex hoped that he would be seen as Bullingbrook in the story, and that he, too, would be able to become King by overthrowing the current monarch.
Today's audiences have become accustomed to lavish productions, glorious lighting displays, and elaborate sets, set against a simple background. This is almost a perfect converse to the setting at the Globe, which features no stage lighting, very little in the way of a set, no sound system, and stage decoration which is extremely elaborate (and, by today's standards, even gaudy).
No one stands at a contemporary performance, and the audience remains respectfully silent throughout the performance. In contrast, at the Globe the audience had a collective personality of its own. Noise could come from the groundlings at any point in the production, and quite often did. Hissing or "mewing" was commonplace. Furthermore, while there was no intermission at the original Globe, food and drink were sold throughout the entire performance. This audience interaction actually helped to set the stage for the play. Actors became known for playing specific roles, such as the comic, or the villain. When the audience recognized such a character, they would respond, with the appropriate chorus of cheers or jeers. Furthermore, inside jokes and references could be made, such as Polonius mentioning that he "played Julius Caesar at the University." It is likely that the actor playing Polonius had, in fact, played Julius Caesar in a prior performance (Watkins, Appendix III).
Since there were not many added visual affects, imagination was much more important to a performance in the original Globe. Day and night could not be simply created by lighting affects. Rather, scenes were set by description, such as in The Taming of the Shrew: "…my mistaking eyes, that have been so bedazzled with the sun." (Act IV Sc. V). Under the typical cloud filled London sky, one must be able to imagine the bright sunlight that is clearly not apparent to the senses.
If an audience is to appreciate the new Globe, it will have to unlearn all of the tricks of modern theatre, and return to the mind set of the theatre goers of Elizabethan time. It will have to learn to use its imagination. The ultimate question is whether or not the setting of the Globe will allow the audience to do so, or whether that ability is truly gone, as Terrence Hawkes claims.
The value of the new Globe is not a simple calculation, and there may be no way to give a definitive answer. One final thought to be considered on the subject was addressed by Sir Peter Hall, in 1975, when, after attending the production of an ancient Greek play at Epidaurus, he wrote in his diary:
My first introduction to the great theatre at Epidaurus. I was overwhelmed by it. The whole day was unforgettable. It's exactly as if someone said to me, 'The Globe has after all been preserved on the South Bank, come over and have a look at it, then you might understand something about staging Shakespeare.' (Mulryne, 24)
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