Meghan Cole – Head of Retail at Shakespeare’s Globe – on bringing the bard’s brand into tea, tees and toys

Meghan, thanks for making time. Can you tell us about your role at Shakespeare’s Globe?
I am the Head of Retail at the Globe, which means I am responsible for setting the strategic direction of the retail function – our onsite shops, our online channel and our wholesale and licensing business. Unusually, I also act as the buyer for all categories, product developer and designer – so I’m very busy!

I was going to say! Thinking about product development for your own ranges that sell in the shop – how do you decide on new design styles? How easy is it to keep things fresh?
I normally start with a Shakespeare quote from whichever play will be in production – development of a season’s ranges starts about eight months before the plays debut on stage. The quote might be joyful, silly, thoughtful, sad, dark or macabre, and this initially informs the design style for each range. The fact that words written by Shakespeare over 400 years ago can still move a modern audience is incredible. His work is 100% relevant to today’s world.

We also look at high street trends in colour, clothing styles and popular accessories to make sure our products continue to feel fresh and desirable. I find this process of design and development immensely enjoyable and it’s always very useful to be able to bounce ideas off the team.

Interesting – so how do these quotes morph into product?
We know what sells well so we have a core range of products that form the basis of our ranges. Designs start with a t-shirt in mind – around 30% of our revenue comes from sales of t-shirts and we sell more of these than any other UK heritage site. T-shirts have a nice large print area and act as a ‘flag’ for the range when displayed in the shop. Once the core of a range is in place, we then look for supporting product that reflects the play. We might look at products that nod towards Shakespeare’s time, like quill pens or seeds for relevant plants.

I understand that you work with designers to help with product development. How do you identify which designers to work with?
We work with UK designers and makers who have a strong eco ethos in the way they work. Environmental sustainability is at the heart of the way the Globe Shop sources and develops product, so we look for partners who use sustainable materials and processes. We have jewellers using recycled materials in carbon-zero workshops, greetings cards hand-printed in London and supplied in biodegradable packaging and an amazing artist who hand embroiders designs for our products.

“We don’t do ‘ye olde worlde’ at all in the Globe Shop!”

Given the awareness around Shakespeare, how do you ensure your products and brand are distinctive and unique?
We don’t do ‘ye olde worlde’ at all in the Globe Shop. We have a bold, graphic design language that is very recognisable. Our customer base comes to the Globe for many different reasons; they may not have English as a first language, they may not have a particular interest in Shakespeare’s works… We have seconds to convince them to buy our products, so we use punchy quotes, strong design, and on-trend colours and styles to create quality product, which is desirable to a modern audience. Our customers often comment that our shop is one of the best they have visited!

I can imagine. Speaking of your customer base, can you tell us a bit more about the Globe’s audience?
Over the last 12 months we’ve welcomed over 326,000 patrons to our theatres and almost 130,000 visitors who booked a tour. Theatre patrons are about 60% female with the 55 to 64 age group representing about 22% of the total. However, a majority of theatre patrons are under the age of 55 (58%). Tours visitors are again a majority female, but the largest portion of tours visitors are under the age of 16 with 75% being under the age of 55. We welcome people from all over the world, with many North American, European, and Australian visitors each year, as well as a large domestic market.

What do you think makes The Globe special and unique?
For me it’s the architecture. We have reconstructions of two amazing playhouses on our site: the iconic Globe Theatre and the jewel-box Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The Globe Theatre is a wonderful oak-framed thatched building – the only thatched building in London – with an incredibly beautiful stage. Sitting in the Playhouse is a sumptuous, intimate experience which is candlelit for performances. They both act like time machines, transporting the audience back to another world. It’s very easy to suspend disbelief sitting, or standing, inside them!

Photo Credit: Pete Le May
I understand that you are looking to grow your licensing programme?
We’d love to find interesting partners who share our values and ethos. The Globe is one of the premier places for Shakespeare in the world and this could be very appealing to potential licensees.

“Around 30% of our revenue comes from sales of t-shirts – we sell more of these than any other UK heritage site.”

We’ve previously had a licensing partnership with TfL after they asked us to work with them to design a Shakespeare Underground Map. It was a bit of a dream job for me as I love the graphic design of the tube!

Presently we have very successful partnerships with Harney Teas who market a Globe-branded A Midsummer Night’s Dream tea worldwide, and with The London Sock Exchange with whom we developed a very cool range of socks based on characters on the Globe stage.

Are there some specific products that you hope to develop through licensing ?
I think the Globe could partner with a wide variety of potential licensees and we’re definitely open to exploring new ideas. We have unique spaces and of course, Shakespeare is recognised worldwide. Personally, I’d love to see a LEGO Globe!

Let’s put it out there! What is on the horizon for The Globe in the rest of 2023 and into 2024?
We’re currently in production with Macbeth and As You Like It. Our Winter Season in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse gets underway in November. This winter we have fairytales, ghost stories, Othello, Webster, and Ibsen – it sounds intriguing. We also continue with our programme of tours and educational events throughout winter. Product development for the 2024 summer season is well under way, but I’m sworn to secrecy on that one!

“I’d love to see a LEGO Globe!”

Understood! Finally, thinking about The Globe itself and your productions, what has been your favourite one?
I don’t think I can pick just one! I have two productions which have really stayed with me. The first was the 2016 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was such a joyous experience, the performances, the colours, the energy from the stage was amazing. The second is Emilia, a play written for the Globe stage by Morgan Lloyd Malcom about the life of Emilia Bassano, who was a female poet contemporary with Shakespeare. It was a wonderful production with an incredible all-female cast. When the last line was spoken the whole theatre rose to their feet as one!

Great picks. Thanks Meghan!