Head down an unassuming country lane splintering off the A470 road connecting the Welsh towns of Rhayader and Builth Wells and you’ll spot something unexpected amidst the bucolic Mid Wales scenery: a theatre.
The Willow Globe (or Y Glôb Byw to use its Welsh name) is a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, built based on the Globe’s original design plans. It is one third of the size of the famed performance space in the London capital, and constructed primarily from living willow trees – making it, as far as the owners are aware, the only willow theatre in the world.
How a theatre with Shakespearean connections came to be built in a field in rural Cymru (Wales) is the result of a community’s passion for both dramatic performance and a knack for cost cutting. When Susanna Best and Philip Bowen, founders of the charity Shakespeare Link (which uses the works of Shakespeare to bridge gaps of language and cultural difference), moved to Mid Wales they became aware of a lack of a central hub in the region to showcase works by the great bard to the local community. The costs of building a theatre from scratch proved prohibitively expensive, so, with help from local volunteers, they opted to grow one instead. The project began in 2006, and blossomed into the impressive theatre that wows spectators – and surprises unsuspecting Welsh walkers – today.
The enchanting, intimate venue, often lit by the golden hue of the setting sun, hosts open-air performances from April to September. Check the official website for upcoming events and ticket details – as well as directions on how to reach the tree-veiled site.
