The Theatre Playhouse

The first polygonal playhouse to be built to a design inspired by classical Roman theatres and one of only four sole-purpose Elizabethan playhouses thought to survive as archaeological monuments in London. Recent excavations have shown that The Theatre was a 14-sided polygon with an external diameter of 22m, similar to the Rose Theatre which was based on the same design. It was a permanent, timber-framed structure built on brick foundations with a tiled roof and three tiers of galleries. The inner walls consisted of a solid masonry construction, intended to take the bulk of the building’s load, with the outer walls set upon intermittent, masonry pads. At least one of the galleries was divided into upper rooms where the audience could sit or stand. A sloping open yard faced a raised stage. James Burbage took out a lease on the site in 1576 with the intention of building a new playhouse in a business arrangement with his brother-in-law, John Brayne. The costs of construction were substantial and plays were put on before the building was complete. Several acting companies were associated with The Theatre, including William Shakespeare’s Lord Chamberlain's Company. 'Hamlet' was probably first performed there in 1596 with Richard Burbage as the lead and it is thought to be where Christopher Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' was first performed in 1592. Towards the end of the 21 year lease there were disputes about money so in late December 1598 Burbage's sons dismantled The Theatre and moved reusable parts south of the Thames to Bankside to part-construct their new theatrical venture, the Globe.