When the South Bank's Globe Theatre closed its doors in March 2020, audiences around the world could still get their Shakespeare fix via Globe Player, a paid-for online catalogue of filmed performances to feast on.
Almost two years on, Globe Player has just relaunched, giving audiences the option to subscribe for full access to the catalogue, or pick and choose what they watch with the pay-per-production system.
Alas, the previous free-to-watch content seems to have disappeared with this relaunch, but we have been giving access to brand new productions, including recordings of the summer 2021 season at the world-famous playhouse. Romeo & Juliet starring Alfred Enoch and Rebekah Murrell, and Twelfth Night with The Globe’s Artistic Director Michelle Terry playing Viola are among the new additions.
Previous productions still available include Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in Twelfth Night (2012); Emma Rice's naughty telling of A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016); and Adetomiwa Edun and Ellie Kendrick in the 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet.
At time of writing, a total of 16 shows are available on Globe Player, dating back as far as 2009 with more being added throughout the year. Audio-described versions of some of the more recent productions are also available, with more audio descriptions of earlier productions due to be added at a later date.
Subscriptions to Globe Player cost £59.99 a year for unlimited access to all titles, or £9.99 per production. Gift subscriptions are an option, if you're looking for a present for a Shakespeare lover. The redeveloped platform will be mobile-responsive, allowing content to be streamed directly to all devices as well as the ability to cast onto larger screens.