� The reconstruction of the Globe - Sovereign Magazine, by Anwar Bretts

When the late American actor, Sam Wanamaker, found Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London commemorated by a shabby plaque near the Thames he was shocked. He wanted to do something about it; he sustained the dream for 44 years and now the rebuilt Globe is his lasting legacy, as Anwar Brett reports.

It could be the plot of one of Shakespeare's most epic dramas, a tale of vision, heroism and dogged determination. But since last May a dream has become a reality, inaugurated by a rousing performance of Henry V starring the theatre's artistic director Mark Rylance. The experience of watching this, of all the Bard's plays, inside such a close representation of that fabled 'wooden O' is thrilling, especially as it is situated just 200 yards from the site of the original theatre in which Shakespeare himself performed.

The reality and excitement of a new Globe are due largely to the efforts of one man, Wanamaker. He came to England in 1949 looking for the original theatre, only to find that a solitary plaque on the wall of a brewery by the Thames, was the meagre evidence that it had ever existed. His initial interest matured into an obsession and gradually other interested parties were persuaded to find out more of the theatre for which Shakespeare wrote some of his most famous plays. There had been half-hearted attempts before this but few had managed to capture the public imagination in the way that Wanamaker did.

In 1969 he invited a number of eminent architects and politicians to explore the various possibilities. A year later he applied for outline planning permission on a site close to the original location. A Globe Playhouse Trust was formed, and the favourable reaction of the council resulted in the offer of a different site, a few hundred yards from their intended location.

In subsequent years, various plays and film festivals on a Shakespearean theme kept the issue of the new theatre alive in the public consciousness but, as with any good drama, there were also moments when all seemed lost. However, after a 125-year lease was signed for the site in April 1982, all the hard lobbying work finally seemed worthwhile.

The project had reached such an advanced stage by 1987 that ground could be broken and the honour fell to His Royal Highness Prince Philip to start the earthworks. Two years later the remains of the Rose theatre and the original Globe were uncovered to offer archaeologists and scholars a unique glimpse of the past while work was forging ahead to create a new future. All the activity was a tribute to Sam Wanamaker and his vision: "He was like the runner with the Olympic torch," says his daughter Zoe, an acclaimed actress in her own right. "His belief in the project never stopped. He had fantastic warrior-like tenacity. He was indomitable."

The bad times, and there were many, seemed only to strengthen the resolve of this remarkable man, who is remembered fondly by those with Globe associations. Mark Rylance recognises the debt of gratitude owed to the spiritual father of this magical place re-born in Southwark: "His love of Shakespeare was so bright and so fiery that you feel properly reminded all the time of humility and service. What we are doing now is for him."

Tour the Globe and you will realise immediately why this theatre is not some kind of dusty keepsake from a bygone age. Use the word 'museum' in connection with any aspect of this vast structure and you will be met with frosty glances by those who work there. For the public it offers a chance to see classic theatre in the unique setting of an open air auditorium with a stage in the middle and audiences surrounding it on three sides.

The structure's magnificence is emphasised by the painstaking recreation of details from known records, using methods and materials contemporary to the original built between 1598 and 1599. Performers in Rylance's company can see the 1000-seated and 500-standing audience clearly and the amphitheatre style acoustics means they are acting out each story more intimately, which is bound to have a warming effect.

"It's quite different for them," explains press officer, Nina Jacobs. "We've found the audiences can add something as well. They can become more and more lively and feel involved as the performances unfold, which is why it is a completely different experience to any other theatre." Callum Coates, an actor and one of the guides during the re-building process, agrees that audiences and performers respond to such a wonderful environment: "In Shakespeare's time they really did interact. At times people behaved outrageously, which runs counter to the ideas some people have about Shakespeare as an elitist writer. Audiences at his plays were everyday people."

After an eclectic and well received opening programme last summer the Globe has proved a hit and is well on course to meet annual projections of 700,000 visitors. Many respond to the history and have enjoyed visiting the associated exhibition devoted to the study of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The education focus group has set itself the task of helping students of all ages to explore the plays and their characters, especially in terms of the stage for which they were written. Educational facilities, libraries and archives are to be part of a hi-tech approach in a modern facility forty feet underground.

This is in stark contrast to the strong Elizabethan environment above ground. Craftsmen had to apply their many talents to create, for example, 400 hand-turned banister posts around the balconies and a pair of magnificent pillars fashioned from huge British oak trees, one from Norfolk, the other from Scotland. The building's wooden frame has 20 sections forming the circular structure, all held together with mortise and tenon joints. York flagstones make the piazza and bricks around it were moulded to Elizabethan specifications. Split pieces of willow form the laths around the interior walls for carrying the plaster facings made from an original recipe of lime, goat's hair and sand.

Authenticity is at the heart of all the endeavour, and the drive to perform Shakespearean plays in the manner that his peers would have seen them performed encourages a sense of purpose for the future. Plans to become home to other 17th century playwrights from Britain and Europe have seen first season works by Thomas Middleton, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, and a performance of The Zulu Macbeth. The opportunity to provide an innovative stage for new works by new playwrights is also apparent and will be encouraged.

"We obviously have to follow a path with Shakespeare and his contemporaries," Nina Jacobs agrees, "but eventually there will be no reason why the theatre shouldn't be used more widely. It's obviously a totally different style of theatre, so a totally different way of acting is needed because it is open air, you're performing to three sides and you can see the audience."Sam Wanamaker would be proud that the new award-winning theatre is becoming the envy of the European art world and is set to transform Southwark in South London into a prime tourist destination for the millennium."