Blackfriars

The indoor theatre created in 1576 by Richard Farrant within the former Blackfriars Monastery was exactly contemporary with James Burbage's pioneering open-roofed theatre in Shoreditch. It is believed to have been formed from the old refectory. Its use ceased in 1584. By 1597 Burbage was looking for a replacement for his Shoreditch theatre and bought several rooms in the monastery. He died before he could complete the conversion of (probably) the Parliament Chamber to a theatre. Richard Burbage took over in 1600 and leased the theatre to Henry Evans, whose management collapsed in 1608. Richard Burbage then made it the indoor base for the King's Men, who continued in occupation until the general closure of 1642.

In their earlier periods (1576-84 and 1600-08) both rooms were used for productions with a boys’ company. As rival to the outdoor theatres, the Blackfriars theatres necessarily made use of artificial lighting and attracted a select audience. There are no graphic records and it can only be surmised that these were elaborate fit-ups. Modern reconstructions have been based on minimal information.