The Full Story

In 2008, a team  of archaeologists from MOLA discovered the remains of The Theatre, one of London’s earliest playhouses, buried beneath the streets of East London.

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Built in 1576, The Theatre was England’s first purpose-built, permanent playhouse – and the first to be known as a ‘theatre’. As home to William Shakespeare’s company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men from 1594-8, it is where plays such as Romeo and Juliet are believed to have been first performed.

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The Theatre was the invention of James Burbage and
John Brayne, theatrical entrepreneurs who chose to build their playhouse in Shoreditch, an area just north of
London’s city walls.

The Theatre was a great success and by 1577 a second Shoreditch playhouse, The Curtain, was operating nearby.

As the sixteenth century progressed, more playhouses were built throughout London, establishing a thriving theatre culture in the capital.

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In 1598, following a land-dispute, The Theatre was dismantled and the timbers were carried over the Thames to Southwark, where they were used to build a new playhouse – The Globe.

Since its discovery in 2008, The Theatre has been designated as Hackney’s first Scheduled Ancient Monument.

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Alongside the remains of The Theatre, archaeologists found remnants of an older building – the Holywell Priory, built around 1127. The Theatre was built on the former site of the Priory, making use of some of its buildings.