The Globe Theatre was a famous playhouse in London, built in 1599 by the playing company known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men, which included the renowned playwright William Shakespeare. It was an open-air theatre that could hold about 3,000 spectators and was known for its circular design and thatched roof. The theatre hosted many of Shakespeare's plays, contributing significantly to the development of English drama. It was destroyed by fire in 1613 but was rebuilt the following year. The original Globe Theatre was demolished in 1644, but a modern reconstruction, known as Shakespeare's Globe, opened in 1997 near the original site.