In years to come, American actor and director Sam Wanamaker may not be remembered for his own productions, but he will certainly be remembered for what he has produced on the south bank of the River Thames in London.

The original Globe was built in 1599 for Shakespeare and his theatrical company. It burnt to the ground in 1613 after the thatch roof caught fire from an onstage cannon blast during a performance of Henry VIII. By June of the following year, the company had rebuilt the theatre with a tiled roof. That Globe was pulled down in 1644 by the Puritans, who had closed all the country's theatres two years earlier.

In 1989, the foundations of the original theatre were discovered, buried beneath an historic 19th-century building. Although it was decided not to fully excavate this site, the examination of what was unearthed allowed architects to make necessary design adjustments to the new Globe which was constructed 200 yards away.

The design of the original Globe represents a hodge-podge of influences of the day - from gatherings in town marketplaces, where the performers would have trained, to bear-baiting contests to travelling companies with their mounted platforms. The 20-sided structure - as near to a circle as Elizabethan carpentry could achieve - could house an audience of up to 3,000 - from the lords and ladies seated in the stage balcony to the poor 'groundlings' standing in the yard. All plays were performed in the afternoons, by the light of day, with minimal additional scenery.

Despite the architects' efforts to remain true to the original, certain concessions were required for the new Globe to meet modern fire regulations. These limit today's audience to a maximum of 1,400, less than half the capacity of its predecessor. Also, since today many performances are staged in the evening, floodlighting is used to replicate natural daylight and illuminate the stage.

Sadly, at times, for the audience, the open pit (which leaves the 'groundlings' rather soggy on rainy days) and the backless wooden benches (which leaves backaches galore) are all too authentic.

Although the central feature, the Globe Theatre is only one element of the International Shakespeare Globe Centre development which remains under construction. Visitors can enhance their trip by taking the time to check out the Centre's other attractions. These include the Globe Education Centre which hosts a number of lectures, workshops, readings and evening classes as well as an extensive outreach programme; and the Shakespeare Exhibition which, upon completion, will be the most extensive ever devoted to Shakespeare and the time in which he lived.

In addition, the Globe's theatrical company will soon be performing year-round in the Inigo Jones indoor theatre, based on designs drawn by Jones in 1617. Scheduled to open in 1999-2000, this theatre will seat 300 people. The entire Centre is due to be completed on 21 September 1999, the 400th anniversary of the first recorded performance at the Globe. By the turn of the century, more than one million visitors per annum are expected.