HAD William Shakespeare visited London yesterday, he would have been confused and amused to see the crowd of tourists gathering at the new Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, snapping pictures and reminiscing about entertainment options in Elizabethan England.

Firstly, he’d have been confused by the theatre’s location, which is a couple of hundred feet from the so-called original site of the theatre where many of Shakespeare’s plays premiered about 400 years ago. Ironically, this displacement follows the precedent set by the original owners, who moved the theatre from its first location in 1598 after the lease on the original property expired. The Bard would also be surprised to find that the current incarnation of the first purpose-built playhouse in London is officially called “Shakespeare’s Globe” — after all, he was only a part shareholder of the second building.

But there’s no better place than the Globe to commemorate Shakespeare’s 400th death anniversary that fell yesterday. The structure is a true homage to the original — there is still a sandy pit where audiences can stand through a four-hour theatrical production for the price of the cheapest ticket in the house (£5!) and gallery seating for the more affluent. The stage also follows the parameters of the original: upstage entrances; a second-floor gallery for performances (yes, the iconic scene from Romeo and Juliet is safe from meddling), and a thrust stage that allows audiences a 3-D view of the action. Those who brave the pit frequently interact with the actors who make full use of the space. All these quirks, including the discomforts of an open-air theatre in a soggy climate, are much enjoyed by audience members seeking historical accuracy.

Of course, the surroundings would be nothing without the wonderful interpretations of the Bard’s work rendered by the many troupes that have the luck of performing in this magical space — funny and moving, authentic yet suitably modern, always relevant. A reincarnated Shakespeare would probably be most pleased — and most bewildered — by the theatre’s Globe to Globe initiative which has since 2012 seen the playwright’s most iconic works performed in dozens of different languages by troupes from around the world. Pakistan’s own Theatre Wallay’s Urdu-language adaptation of Taming of the Shrew remains a favourite among Londoners who enjoyed the performance as part of the theatre’s ‘cultural Olympiad’ in 2012.

True Shakespeare fans in recent years have also delighted at the charms of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an accurate reproduction of a typical Jacobean theatre which opened within the premises of Shakespeare’s Globe in 2014. Complete with exposed oak panels, a myth-inspired ceiling painting, and trompe-l’oeil decorations, the space provides a venue for staging plays in the winter months when being outdoors is not feasible for even the most diehard fans. What sets this theatre apart from all others and makes for a truly magical evening is the fact that the playhouse only stages productions by candlelight — no doubt an environment in which a returning Shakespeare would feel most at home.

While the ever-more creative tributes to his craft and legacy — and the number and diversity of visitors to the Globe — would certainly please the Bard, he would probably be most touched by the less-frequented memorial to him that lies just a short walk away. Stroll along the Thames, past a replica of the Golden Hinde, the ship in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world, and you’ll come across the imposing Southwark Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in London and Shakespeare’s parish church.

Shakespeare is memorialised in the cathedral — a whimsical alabaster statute of the playwright reclines in front of a carved London skyline, letting the city claim the writer originally from Stratford-upon-Avon. More than the statue, modern-day fans of the Bard will enjoy the stained glass window above it — the colourful panes depict his most popular characters, from Hamlet to Lear, Juliet to Lady Macbeth. No doubt the Bard himself would spend a few minutes gazing up at the window trying to recognise which characters repose with him in the cathedral’s south aisle.

Of course, these static memorials cannot compete with Shakespeare’s plays and poetry, being brought to life in a variety of ways this weekend as the world marks the playwright’s 400th death anniversary. The Shakespere400 festival is taking over London with various performances, talks and screenings at churches, libraries, museums — and even theatres — in keeping with the Elizabethan tradition of using public places for performance. Fans are spoilt for choice with options ranging from a four-and-a-half-hour-long mash-up of Shakespeare’s War of Roses plays — Henry V, Henry VI, Richard III and Henry IV — set in a Cold War-like command centre at the Barbican Centre across the river, to stand up comedy shows riffing on the Bard’s works. Those planning a pilgrimage to the Globe can relive the playwright’s oeuvre through 10-minute films of 37 of Shakespeare’s best plays featuring world famous actors, shot around the world. Or they can stroll through the space that will take them as close to Shakespeare’s world as we can get today.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2016