LONDON

DISCOVER
EC1-
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City of London
This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, so visit the place
where he lived and worked, the City of London, says Kohinoor Sahota
BARBICAN CENTRE © ISTOCK; GUILDHALL ART GALLERY AND FIRST FOLIO COURTESY OF GUILDHALL ART GALLERY;
SKYSCRAPERS © C TOTMAN; SON ET LUMIÈRE © JAMIESMITHPHOTO.CO.UK; ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL © ISTOCK; MAP © KERRY HYNDMAN
The City of London,
the oldest part of the
capital, was founded
around AD50. Situated
close to the Thames, it
became a bustling port.
The City has been
the setting for many
landmark moments,
including the Great
Fire of London in
1666, The Blitz and
the establishment of
the Stock Exchange.
Today, it is one of the
world’s leading financial
centres and is home
to many skyscrapers,
from 30 St Mary Axe
(the Gherkin) to the
Leadenhall building
(the Cheesegrater).
One of its most famous
residents was William
Shakespeare – he lived
near St Paul’s Cathedral
and staged plays at the
Blackfriars Playhouse.
As this year marks the
400th anniversary of
his death, the City of
London Corporation,
Shakespeare’s Globe
and the Barbican
are putting on a series
of events and activities
to mark this very
special occasion.
For details of the events,
visit cityoflondon.gov.
uk/shakespeare400
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The Barbican
The Barbican is a haven
for arts and culture – it
is home to films, plays,
dance and exhibitions.
To mark Shakespeare’s
anniversary, there is
a range of events. The
London Symphony
Orchestra perform
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (16 Feb) and
Play on, Shakespeare!
(7 Feb). During next
month’s Barbican
Shakespeare Weekender:
Play on (5-6 Mar), there
will be talks, workshops
and even Shakespeareinspired
food.
FARRINGDON
FARRINGDON ST
CITY THAMESLINK
BLACKFRIARS
UPPER THAMES ST
2
Shakespeare
Son et Lumière
In collaboration with
Guildhall Library and
Guildhall School of
Music & Drama, the
Guildhall is hosting
a spectacle that is
Shakespeare Son
et Lumière (4-5 Mar;
6.45pm-8.45pm; free).
Projected on to the
imposing façade of the
ancient Guildhall, this
impressive light show
will be set to period
music and use the
extraordinary archives
of London’s magnificent
library of history.
BARBICAN
MUSEUM
OF LONDON
ST PAUL’S
MANSION HOUSE
RIVER THAMES
Opposite page (clockwise from top): Barbican Centre;
Guildhall Art Gallery; William Shakespeare’s First Folio,
1623; skyscrapers in the City; Shakespeare Son et Lumière;
St Paul’s Cathedral
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2 3
MOORGATE
CANNON STREET
LONDON WALL
BANK
MONUMENT
3
Guildhall
Art Gallery
In Visscher Redrawn:
1616-2016 at the
Guildhall Art Gallery
(from 20 Feb; free),
you can see Claes
Jansz Visscher’s 1616
engraving of London.
The image shows
how London looked
in Shakespeare’s time,
and is a visual record
of the city before the
Great Fire in 1666.
Four hundred years
later, artist Robin
Reynolds has created
a modern image of
London, arranged to fit
the Visscher landscape
and with references
to Shakespeare’s plays
and sonnets.
4 The Globe
Located just outside
the City, Shakespeare’s
Globe theatre will
be hosting a variety
of special events to
mark the anniversary.
Opened in 1997 by
Sam Wanamaker, this
splendid recreation of
Shakespeare’s original
16th-century theatre
offers a year-long
programme of events
including an exhibition
and theatre tour.
FEBRUARY 2016 | 21