Pop Up Globe FAQ

How much are tickets?

Tickets range from $20.33 to $304.67. It's cheaper to see a weekday matinee than an evening show or weekend matinee! Groundlings are the same price for every performance - $20.33 - and are arguably the best tickets you can get. Tickets for Around The Globe In 60 Minutes range from $15.23 to $25.42.

There's special offers on tickets when you get a group together or book more than one show! Details on ticket types can be found here.

Which tickets do you think I should book?

If you are able stand for three hours, get groundling tickets! Even my friends that have booked seated tickets have all expressed their wish to be among the peasants umm I mean the groundlings instead. Think of the mosh pit at a concert. You're right in the middle of the action. It's like you're a part of the performance, rather than just a ineffectual audience member. Characters turn to you for guidance and support. Their stories spill over the stage, pouring out into the yard and overcoming everyone with a sense of involvement and liveliness that you just cannot get anywhere else. The groundlings is a character unto itself.

That said - if you cannot stand for three hours, the seated tickets are still excellent! If it rains, we'll be the ones getting wet while you're all cozy and warm in your boxes looking down on us. The Royal Rooms look absolutely luxurious. They're on the stage, so you'll probably still get the same actor interaction as the groundlings, only you're less likely to be called an "English pig" or a "peasant".

Fair warning, though, everyone in the theatre can see what you're doing! So don't bring your Uncle Frank if you think he'll probably fall asleep at Othello. The Royal Rooms include a complimentary hamper of food and a program for each person. Lucky ducks. There's only 16 seats available for each show, so don't delay! Try for a weekday matinee for best availability and to save a bit of money!

From there, the seating is really a matter of preference. The Globe has three levels of seating, like most theatres. There is a lower level, a middle level, and an upper level. Most people in my circle of friends will be looking to spend as little as possible. If that's the case, then D Reserve is on the lower and upper levels at $55.95 on a weekday matinee and $61.40 for evenings and weekend matinees. You can find out more details on the seating at the page I've linked above!

Which play should I see?

This is a tough question to answer. Each of them are fantastic. As I'm writing this, I haven't seen Othello and Around The Globe yet, but I feel I can already vouch for them. My faith in the Pop Up Globe, the three companies, and everyone involved is totally unwavering. Here's an excellent review of Othello and another of Around the Globe, if you won't take my word for it.

There are four plays and one special production in the season. Henry V, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and Around the Globe in 60 Minutes. In a perfect world I would recommend that you see all of them. Each have something different to bring to the table, with new experiences and life lessons. Shakespeare's works are so versatile and timeless. It feels that I can pick one of them up at any stage in my life and find something new, that I never noticed before, like I have at the Pop Up Globe.

Speaking in general terms - the plays cover some popular genres, which might help you decide which one to see. Henry V is a history, Othello is a tragedy. As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing are both comedies. Or you might want to start with Around The Globe in 60 Minutes, which tells the history of the second Globe Theatre. It's billed as a family friendly performance and all the tickets are ridiculously cheap!

Henry V was the first production we saw, so I think it will always hold a special place in my heart. Being a history, you may be expecting something grim and tedious. But it's neither. I laughed a hell of a lot more than I expected to. It's also so incredibly involved. Henry spends a great deal of time mingling with the groundlings and calling them to arms when the time comes to fight for king and country etc etc. It was an emotionally charged experience, that was on my mind for days afterwards.


That said, both of the comedies were such joyous experiences. It seems that we're surrounded by so much hate and injustice these days. The newsreaders say "good evening" and then proceed to tell us why it's anything but a good evening. But at the Globe, all of that goes away. It has this healing power, which is all the more potent when you see As You Like it or Much Ado About Nothing.

As You Like It tells the story of two girls who run away from the court to find refuge in the forest of Arden. Hilarity ensues, as it is wont to do. There's singing, there's wrestling, there's love, there's confusion, a gender bent character, mistaken identity... Did I mention singing? What about the sheep? The sheep are very important.

You might be more familiar with Much Ado, what with the recent filmed production that featured David Tennant and Catherine Tate in two of the lead roles. Sorry not sorry, this production was better. Beatrice is my absolute hero. The Queens company perform this play with so much heart and soul. I think it's the quintessential Pop Up Globe experience.

Another thing that may help is knowing the schedule! There's a calendar here showing all the dates and plays for the rest of the season, which was extended today! I know you're all going to delay booking tickets, now that the season is until January, but I'd still recommend booking asap! Tickets are selling fast and it'll be January before we know it!

Isn't Shakespeare only for scholars and highbrow thinkers? What if I don't understand what they're saying? I hated Shakespeare in high school.

I hear this a lot. Actually, I hear this every time I bring up Shakespeare with my non-Shakespeare friends. But it's just ridiculous approaching Shakespeare like this. His works are timeless. Why else would people still be performing his plays, over and over again to much acclaim? Each play represents such relevant experiences and emotions. And it's common to dislike things, after you've studied them in high school. But that's usually down to the teaching and not the material. Shakespeare's works have so much to offer, if you'll only give them a chance.

There were so many children at every performance I've seen. There was a boy at Henry V who moved through the yard, following Henry with both his heart and his mind. He was enraptured. I've never seen anyone as full as admiration as he was. At Much Ado, the yard was full of children and the sound of their laughter. Ursula and Hero gave them chocolate fishes. If children can understand and even admire and laugh at Shakespeare, I don't see why an adult cannot.

Besides all of that, these productions are filled with contemporary references to popular culture. The characters are constantly engaged in asides to the audience that we, 21st century people watching a theatre performance in 2017, can understand. If all you've done is read the plays, then I'm not at all surprised that you're having difficulty enjoying them. Imagine reading the script for a film rather than seeing it. You'll still know what's going on, of course, but it's better to just watch the film.

The Pop Up Globe's season has been extended until January, with performances almost every day. It's an experience like nothing else. It's Shakespeare, the way it was meant to be performed. Book your tickets now through Ticketmaster.