Back in William Shakespeare's heyday London's most happening scene was Bankside, an area replete with theatres, taverns and more questionable entertainment including brothels, cock-fighting and bear-baiting. Today's Shakespeare's Globe on the Southbank is a faithful reconstruction of the Globe Theatre which once stood here, built using the wood of almost a thousand oak trees and employing many of the same techniques carpenters did in the 17th century. Led by actors and Shakespeare enthusiasts, the 40 minute tours around the theatre tell visitors about the building process, colourful anecdotes from the playwright's life and times and the goings-on behind the scenes today.
