ABSTRACT
Reconstructions of the Globe theatre have always betrayed the prejudices of their notional architects. It will be as well if I declare mine at the outset. The structure we are trying to resurrect is one in which plays were performed with a minimum of scenic and mechanical aids, in costumes whose lavishness would surprise us more than it surprised the first audiences. It is a theatre in which Lear's descent on Fortune's wheel will be visibly emphasised, not by changes of scenery, but by changes of costume. Disguise flourishes on such a stage, because it stands out, and because the audience is interested in clothes.
