Curtain Theatre
The Curtain Theatre opened its doors in 1577 on Hewett Street within the Shoreditch district of London. This structure stood just south of The Theatre, which had begun operations a year earlier in 1576. The name Curtain derived from a nearby plot of land called Curtain Close. That land took its name from the proximity to the walls of Holywell Priory. A curtain wall is defined as a section of wall connecting two bastions. The name bears no relationship to the fabric front curtain used in modern theatres. Joseph Quincy Adams documented this etymology in his 1917 book Shakespearean Playhouses. The site remained unknown for centuries until archaeological work began in the early twenty-first century.
Henry Lanman served as the proprietor of the playhouse and held the title of gentleman. In 1585 he made an agreement with James Burbage to use the venue as a supplementary house. From 1597 to 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men performed there after leaving their former space at The Theatre. They staged Romeo and Juliet during this period. John Marston wrote in Scourge of Villainy that the play received Curtain plaudities. Henry IV Part I and Part II also played on these boards. Ben Jonson presented Every Man in His Humour here in 1598 with Shakespeare acting in the cast. Gabriel Spencer died in a duel in Hoxton Fields later that same year. The company moved to the Globe Theatre when it opened in 1599. Thomas Pope owned a share in the Curtain and left it to heirs in 1603. John Underwood did the same in 1624.
London theatres including the Curtain closed from September 1592 until April 1594 due to bubonic plague outbreaks. People petitioned local magistrates in 1597 demanding no plays take place at the venue. John Stow listed the theatre in his Survey of London published in 1598 but omitted it from the 1603 edition. The Privy Council attempted to shut down the Curtain in 1600 without success. Queen Anne's Men used the space starting in 1603 after playing at the Rose Theatre. They performed A Woman Kill'd With Kindness there in February 1603. Rowley, Day, and Wilkins wrote The Travels of the Three English Brothers which appeared at the Curtain in 1607. No record exists for the playhouse after 1627. The ultimate fate and date of closure remain unknown.
Museum of London Archaeology announced the discovery of remains during trial excavations in 2012. Plans submitted in 2013 proposed a forty-storey tower with four hundred apartments plus a Shakespeare museum. Excavators revealed the theatre was rectangular rather than round or polygonal. Measurements showed dimensions of twenty-two by twenty-five metres. Walls survived up to three meters high in places. MOLA identified the courtyard where theatregoers stood and inner walls holding galleries. Timber galleries featured mid and upper areas for wealthier audience members. A courtyard made from compacted gravel served those with less money to spend. The galleries were straight lines. A fragmentary ceramic bird whistle dated from the late sixteenth century. A tunnel structure accessed by doors on either end of the stage emerged in November 2016. This allowed actors to exit one side and enter from the other unseen.
Fragments of ceramic money boxes found at the site collected entry fees from patrons. These containers were taken to an office known as the box office before being smashed and counted. Glass beads and pins lay unearthed alongside drinking vessels and clay pipes. A bone comb appeared among personal items recovered by the team. A mount and token also surfaced during the dig. The ceramic bird whistle raised questions about whether it was a Tudor toy or a prop for sound effects. A small statue of Bacchus sat among the finds. Beads likely decorated stage costumes worn by actors. The discovery illuminated how audiences behaved and what practices occurred daily. The structural remains received Scheduled Monument designation in August 2019. Residential towers named The Stage, The Bard, and The Hewett now occupy the land.
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Common questions
When did the Curtain Theatre open in Shoreditch London?
The Curtain Theatre opened its doors in 1577 on Hewett Street within the Shoreditch district of London. This structure stood just south of The Theatre which had begun operations a year earlier in 1576.
Who owned the Curtain Theatre and when did it operate?
Henry Lanman served as the proprietor of the playhouse and held the title of gentleman from 1585 until the venue closed after 1624. John Underwood owned a share in the Curtain and left it to heirs in 1624 while Thomas Pope also owned a share before his death in 1603.
Why was the Curtain Theatre named Curtain Close?
The name Curtain derived from a nearby plot of land called Curtain Close that took its name from the proximity to the walls of Holywell Priory. A curtain wall is defined as a section of wall connecting two bastions and bears no relationship to the fabric front curtain used in modern theatres.
What happened to the Curtain Theatre during the bubonic plague outbreaks?
London theatres including the Curtain closed from September 1592 until April 1594 due to bubonic plague outbreaks. People petitioned local magistrates in 1597 demanding no plays take place at the venue and the Privy Council attempted to shut down the Curtain in 1600 without success.
When were the remains of the Curtain Theatre discovered by archaeologists?
Museum of London Archaeology announced the discovery of remains during trial excavations in 2012 and structural remains received Scheduled Monument designation in August 2019. Plans submitted in 2013 proposed a forty-storey tower with four hundred apartments plus a Shakespeare museum on the site.