Tu be or Not Tu be?
Transport for London partners with Globe Theatre for 'Shakespeare' Tube Map
Local tube stations have been renamed as Shakespeare characters to commemorate the 400th anniversary (on April 23rd) of the death of William Shakespeare.
Transport for London (TfL) and Shakespeare’s Globe have partnered to create a special edition map - replacing station names with famous characters, plays and modern adaptations of the Bard’s works.
On the Central line, Ealing Broadway is renamed Rosalind and West Acton becomes Orlando both from 'As You Like it'. All's well that ends well in North and East Acton with Bertram and Helena.
On The Piccadilly line, Northfields is the Earl of Kent - key protagonist and loyal friend of King Lear and South Ealing becomes Cassio from Othello, Acton Town gets Hamlet's pal, Horatio. tHE Overground lines of South Acton and Acton Central are given names of Shakespeare inspited films.
The map, which will be available to buy as a 24" x 36" maxi poster or as an art print, can be purchased online or directly from Shakespeare’s Globe and the London Transport Museum, from April 18. The poster will cost £3.99 while the art print will cost £15.00. A large scale vinyl of the map will also be installed at Bankside Pier near the Shakespeare’s Globe.
Each London Underground line on the map has been given a specific subject, with station names then changed to relate to the line’s theme. Icons have been added to help distinguish the plays by genre and highlight the characters who disguised themselves as male or female in Shakespeare’s time.
There are also interesting links across the map that lovers of Shakespeare’s work will appreciate. These include:
• The Waterloo & City line (which only has two stops) is called “Patronage” with Elizabeth I and James I, the royal patrons of Shakespeare, replacing Bank and Waterloo stations
• The Emirates Air Line is called “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern” after the characters in Hamlet
• The map shows three of the theatres where William Shakespeare’s plays were performed - the Globe Theatre, Blackfriars Theatre and the Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch, which was rediscovered recently
• The warring neighbours of Montague and Capulet from Romeo and Juliet are located next to each other on the Fathers & Kings (Jubilee) line
• Areas of the map have also been clustered together to focus on different themes such as the London Overground from New Cross to West Croydon, which are song titles inspired by Shakespeare.
Where possible, plays and characters have also been allocated to ‘interchange’ stations where they would naturally fit on both lines. For example, Macbeth (Embankment station) is on both the “Plays” line (Circle Line) and the “Villains” line (Northern Line) and Lady Macbeth (Charing Cross) is both next to Macbeth and placed at the interchange of the “Heroines” (Bakerloo) and “Villains and Rivals” lines.
At the top end of the Overground towards Watford Junction, modern adaptations have also been combined with female actors to give continuance to the “Heroines” line. The same can be seen at the northern end of the “Heroes” (Piccadilly) line with famous male actors.
Chris MacLeod, TfL’s Marketing Director said, “The works of William Shakespeare are a global institution and have been loved by young and old for more than 400 years. This new map combines two Great British icons together in a fun but informative way.”
Dr Farah Karim-Cooper, Head of Higher Education & Research, Globe Education, said:
“What this wonderful keepsake reveals is that Shakespeare’s work, his characters and themes intersect with each other in fascinating ways. To think about navigating the plays in the same way we think about getting around the underground reminds us that as complex as they are, the works of Shakespeare are entirely accessible to everyone.”
The publication of the map forms part of London’s wider celebration of the playwright’s work. As well as a range of activities at Shakespeare’s Globe throughout April, performers will be interpreting works by William Shakespeare at busking sites in Tottenham Court Road, Southwark and Shoreditch High Street stations in the lead-up to the 400th anniversary. Further activity will also take place across the weekend of 23 / 24 April on MBNA Thames Clippers boats between Embankment and Tower Pier.
You can also pre-order the map, or view other merchandise
• All money raised by TfL from the creation and sale of this map will be reinvested into London’s transport network
19th April 2016