London Shakespeare History and Performance Tour

Led by one of our fantastic guides, who are not only experienced tour guides, but also actors or directors who trained at some of the finest drama schools in the world, and written by a Ph.D. candidate at Queen Mary University of London's School of English and Drama, this tour blends history, drama, and live performance and is a must for anyone curious or passionate about Shakespeare!
Starting at Farringdon Station, we will explore locations that Shakespeare would have been familiar with and which are still left standing after the Great Fire of London and the London Blitz. We will also explore areas of London, which, although much changed, inspired Shakespeare and allowed him to progress from being the son of a glove maker to a servant of the King. During the tour, we will learn how Shakespeare became the ‘immortal bard’, debate if Shakespeare wrote the plays we credit him with and explore why Shakespeare’s works are still enjoyed and celebrated in the 21st Century.

Meeting Point

Farringdon

Farringdon Station, Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BY, UK

We will meet all travellers outside Farringdon Station in central London.

What's included:

• Guide fees

Not included:

• Travel using the Transport for London (TFL) network.

What to expect:

Duration: 3 hours

St John's Gate

St John_s Lane, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4PN

St John's Gate is one of the few places left in London which we know William Shakespeare visited. Home to the office of the Master of Revels, who acted as the Censor to the courts of Elizabeth I and James I, William Shakespeare would have had to attend this place to have his plays licensed for performance.
At St John's Gate, your guide will explain why Shakspeare was subject to Censorship, how the Master Of Revels office worked, and how theatre censorship continued until 1968. You'll also hear how the ending of theatre censorship changed the way that Shakspeare was performed and is performed today.

10 minutes

Smithfield Market

Grand Ave, London, EC1A 9PS

Smithfield Market is another location we know Shakespeare would have visited while living in London. We know this thanks to references in his plays that mention the location, especially King Henry IV Part 2, and the fact that most Londoners would have descended on this location for the famous fair that used to happen here every year. Indeed it's possible that Shakespeare might have visited here with his friend, contemporary, and rival Ben Jonson prior to returning to Stratford Upon Avon.
Although the market has had a Victorian make-over, the principles that the market operates on are still the same today, and while walking through the market, your guide will explain not just the importance of the market to London, but also Smithfield's history and use in the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

Pass by without stopping

St Bartholomew's Hospital

W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK

St Bartholomew's Hospital is the oldest working hospital in the world. Founded in 1123, this is one of the few places in London which was standing during Shakespeare's lifetime.
At Bart's (as it is commonly called), your guide will tell you how early-modern hospitals such as Barts, and the infamous Bedlam Hospital, inspired the works of Shakespeare. Indeed some of the characters from these hospitals even appear in the works of Shakespeare.

While at Barts your guide will also explain how some of the most important moments in English (and British) history are excluded from the works of Shakespeare, who was effectively working under a police state.

10 minutes

Postman's Park

King Edward Street, , London, EC1A 7BT

Postman's Park has nothing to do with the works of Shakespeare or the life of the great Bard. That said, cutting through the park is the fastest way to head to where we are going. So your guide will explain how this hidden park and its memorial to those people who died sacrificing themselves to save others came into being.

Pass by without stopping

St Mary Aldermanbury Garden

1 Love Lane, London, EC2V 7JN

St Mary Aldermanbury Garden stands on the site of the old church that was sadly damaged by bombing during the Second World War. Removed after the war (your guide will tell you all about this), the church was where two of Shakespeare's friends were buried - Henry Condell and John Heminge.
Both Condell and Heminge were churchwardens here and were buried in the church grounds. Not only were they friends of Shakespeare, but they were also shareholders in the original Globe Theatre, and were instrumental in the publishing of Shakespeare's works as we know them today.

At the memorial to Condell and Heminge, your guide will explain everything you could want to know about these two men who intimately knew Shakespeare and why they are so important in the publication of Shakespeare's works.

10 minutes

Guildhall Library

Guildhall Library Guildhall Library 5 Aldermanbury, London, EC2V 7HH

A preserved edition of the First Folio, which contains 36 of William Shakespeare's plays, is meticulously safeguarded within the Guildhall Library of the City of London. The Guildhall Library is a public reference institution renowned for its specialization in London's historical records.
Within its holdings, the library boasts an extensive printed books collection, encompassing more than 200,000 titles spanning from the 15th to the 21st centuries. This diverse collection encompasses a wide array of literary forms, including books, pamphlets, periodicals, trade directories, and poll books. It provides a comprehensive representation of every facet of life in London, both past and present, shedding light on the city's trade, its inhabitants, and its architectural heritage. Furthermore, the library's archives encompass expansive holdings related to maritime history and the history of business, further enriching its scholarly resources.

10 minutes

Guildhall

71 Basinghall St, London EC2V 7HH, UK

The Guildhall in the City of London serves as the city's administrative hub. Inside its grand halls, you'll find the offices and meeting spaces of the Corporation of London and its Court of Common Council. This body holds the responsibility of governing the City and safeguarding its interests across the broader London metropolitan area. Mentioned in Richard III, your guide will explain how the scene involving the Guildhall, the Mayor of London, and the corporation is vital for Richard's climb to power. They will also explain how people during Shakespeare's time would have reacted to this moment.
In 1613, the renowned playwright William Shakespeare acquired a property in Blackfriars, strategically situated to accommodate both the Globe and Blackfriars theaters. The legal document that documents this sale boasts the rare distinction of bearing Shakespeare's signature and is meticulously preserved within the collections of the London Metropolitan Archives.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Saint Paul's Churchyard

St. Paul's Churchyard, London, UK

The First Folio was published by the publisher Isaac Jaggard and was sold in St Paul’s Churchyard by Edward Blount, who had a shop here. Although much of the area around St Paul's Cathedral (and indeed the Cathedral itself) is different to when Shakespeare would have lived in London and when the First Folio was published, it is still worth travelling to this part of London to see where people from across the country would have come to purchase the first collected works of England's, and possibly the world's, greatest author.
St Paul's Churchyard offers some fantastic views of the 17th Century Cathedral, and it is here that your guide will tell you why the First Folio is so important, how it saved some of Shakespeare's most famous plays for future generations, and why they are so sought after today!

10 minutes

Black Friars Lane

Black Friars Ln, London EC4V, UK

As the Chorus in the Prologue of Henry V says, 'Let us, cyphers to this great accompt, On your imaginary forces work. Think when we talk of horses, that you see them'. In this moment, the Chorus asks the audience to use their imagination to see what they are being described to them. Sadly due to the changes in London's landscape, you'll need to follow the Chorus' advice whilst your guide describes for you the less well-known Blackfriar's Playhouse, which Shakespeare also had shares in. You will also need to imagine what Shakespeare's house here would have looked like as your guide will explain to you some of the controversies surrounding Shakespeare's purchase of his only London property.

Pass by without stopping

College of Arms

130 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4BT

As we pass the College of Arms we will stop and your guide will explain how Shakespeare's social-climbing ambitions resulted in his father John, being granted a Coat of Arms. This prestigious honour was later contested, and whilst here you will learn how the leading member of the College, the impressively titled Garter King at Arms, came to Shakespeare's aid!
In addition you will learn how Shakespeare was a great social climber, starting off as a local boy in Stratford Upon Avon and ending his life as a member of the King's Household.

Pass by without stopping

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

21 New Globe Walk, , London, SE1 9DT

The tour will pass Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and will explain the importance of this new version of Shakespeare's theatre. We will explain the history of this impressive new building, how an American was instrumental in its construction, and how the local council's withdrawing of support for the Globe led to a multimillion pound court case which the Globe won!

Pass by without stopping

Southwark Cathedral

1 London Bridge, Montague Close, London, SE1 9DA

The tour will finish at Southwark Cathedral. Whilst here we will explain its links to William Shakespeare and his family, how William's younger brother Edmund came to be buried here, and how both Shakespeare and the modern founder of The Globe Theatre are remembered in this ancient Gothic cathedral.

10 minutes