On a cold December night in 1598, about 10 men armed with swords, daggers and axes quietly burst into an abandoned theater in Shoreditch, suburban London.

Under the dim lights emanating from the lamps, these people worked tirelessly all night, dismantling the theater. When the first ray of light hit the doorframe, the theater vanished like never before.

The thieves are said to be Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the troupe in which William Shakespeare participated. For the past few years, the Chamberlain’s Men group has performed at the Shoreditch Theater.

Built in 1576, Shorditch is the only place built for performing works of art. This is also the second dedicated theater to be built in the UK.

Lord Chamberlain’s Men was established in 1594, it took only a few years for the troupe to rise to one of the leading theater groups. They performed in Shoreditch so much that it seemed like their second home. It was also here that Shakespeare’s most successful plays of the time before the theater were stolen.

Theater when welcoming tourists.

In 1596, the land lease contract expired. Lord Chamberlain’s group tried to negotiate with the owner of the theater land, Mr. Giles Allen, but all attempts failed.

Allen even threatened to completely occupy the theater. The dispute lasted for two years, during which time the troupe had to perform at the Curtain Theater in the vicinity. This is also where Shakespeare premiered the most famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

The Shoreditch Theater, which was supposed to be dismantled by Shakespeare’s troupe.

The long dispute with unexpected results, Chamberlain’s Men team has a bold plan. While Allen was celebrating Christmas in his hometown, Chamberlain’s Men broke into the theater and stole it in a way no one expected.

Globe Theater reconstructed based on archaeological documents.

Initially, wood from the Theater was stored in a warehouse near Bridewell until the following spring before it was carried across the River Thames to build the Globe Theater on a much larger scale. Globe was officially put into operation in early 1599, and during the next 14 years, it has witnessed Shakespeare’s biggest plays.

The interior of the Globe theater.

By 1613, during the performance of Henry VIII, a stage cannon missed, burned the thatched roof and then burned down the whole theater. Although the theater was quickly rebuilt, Shakespeare did not produce another play for the new theater. In the end, ending up with all the other theaters in London, the Globe was closed in 1642.

A model of today’s Globe theater.

Today, there is still a modern reconstruction of the Globe named "Globe of Shakespeare" built in 1997 and just 200 meters from the original theater. This version retains the original design but only half the capacity.

Globe Theater.

The structure is made entirely of wood with thatched roof. This is also the only construction with thatched roof for this material to cause fire. The simple interior seats do not use headlights, microphones or any other modern audio equipment to bring visitors to the experience of classical music and theater works of the 16th century.