Curtain Theatre

Built in 1577, The Curtain was the second playhouse in Shoreditch, following the Theatre built the year before 200 yards to the north. Like the neighbouring playhouse, the Curtain was located in the Liberty of Holywell, outside the City limits and might have resulted from the conversion of a large pre-existing, gabled house. Probably built by Henry Lanman, or Laneman, it was subject to a financial deal with the Burbage family, the owners of The Theatre, to ‘share profits’ which resulted in the sale of the Curtain to the Burbages by 1592. It was said to be in decay in 1611 but it is also supposed to have become a prize fight arena after it ceased to be a theatre. The building was converted into tenements by 1638 and there are description of rents relating to the same building in 1698. Since 2012 archaeologists from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) have been excavating the remains of the theatre. In 2016, they discovered the building would have been at 30m x 22m rectangle, not a polygonal approximation of a circle as had been assumed previously. The excavations are part of a £750m mixed commercial and residential development.