London Branch and Kent Branch Annual General Meeting 2026 and Presentation on The Globe Theatre (in-person and online)

AGM Minutes from January 2025 can be downloaded here

Following on from the AGM there will be a presentation by David Watts "Tourists, Purists, and Plague - Twenty years a steward at The Globe"

What will the event cover?

The modern Globe Theatre was built in 1997 owing to the vision and drive of Sam Wanamaker. For nearly 30 years it has been a place of creativity and freedom, drawing in visitors from around the world to become one of London’s  major tourist attractions.

Working as a volunteer there you cannot miss how opinion is sometimes split by productions, the tourists wanting something recognisably traditional, the purists fault finding to such an extent that they lose focus of the intention to entertain, inform and enlighten audiences. The school children wondering what’s going on or when can they leave?

The Globe is a peculiarly intimate theatre. Actors, audiences and stewards are expected to engage with one another. Many productions are done in daylight so that you can see one another all the time. This talk will take us through a day in the theatre and seek to link it to the times and life of Shakespeare and the first two Globes.

Download poster here

Our industry expert:

David Watts - Retired teacher and 20 year volunteer at The Globe Theatre London

Meet the speaker: 

David taught Chemistry for over 35 years- surprising since he had fallen in love with the language of Shakespeare as a child. The last 25 years were at Aldenham School, a boarding school with good rail links to Blackfriars close to the Globe Theatre. A sensible boss allowed him to break camp on a regular basis, to be inspired and refreshed.

Benefits from attending the event: