The Theatre (Shakespeare's first playhouse)
Plaques and preserved foundations in Shoreditch marking The Theatre, the playhouse whose very timbers became the Globe.
FREE
The lowdown
Long before the Globe, Shakespeare's company performed in Shoreditch at a playhouse simply called The Theatre, built in 1576 and one of the first purpose-built theatres in England. When a rent dispute turned sour in 1598, the company famously dismantled the whole building one winter night, carried its timbers across the frozen Thames and used them to build the Globe on Bankside.
The site was rediscovered by archaeologists, and its foundations are now preserved and marked with plaques near New Inn Broadway. It is free to visit, a quietly thrilling spot where English theatre as we know it was born.
The insider tip
The bit we only tell the people on the list. Join free and every insider tip unlocks on this device.
More like this
Get it in your inbox
One email a week with the best free things to do in London this weekend. Before everyone else finds them.