Shakespeare's birthday celebrated at Westminster Abbey, Globe Theater

LONDON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The anniversary of the birthday of playwright William Shakespeare was celebrated on Sunday with a performance of his sonnets in Westminster Abbey and new season of plays at Shakespeare's Globe in London.

The Globe Theater on the South Bank of the Thames is a modern-day replica of Shakespeare's Globe playhouse, complete with thatched roof and open-air seating for many of the audience.

The theater has timed its summer season to launch on the 401st anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare, which includes the playwright's romance tragedy "Romeo and Juliet", and his comedies "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Twelfth Night".

In Stratford Upon Avon in the English Midlands, where the author was born in 1564, a ceremonial procession was held on Saturday through the town, finishing at Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare's tomb is.

Westminster Abbey on Saturday also hosted a performance of Shakespeare's sonnets, given by classical actor Mark Rylance and a team of 25 actors. The Abbey has a memorial to the playwright.