The Curtain was the neighbour of the Theatre and one of the first theatres in London.

It was built around 100 metres south of James Burbage’s Theatre in Shoreditch and was run by Henry Lanman at one point. The name ‘Curtain’ is not linked to stage curtains, but related to the name of the walled pasture in which the playhouse was built. It ran from 1577 until 1625 and staged some of the plays of William Shakespeare from 1597 to 1599.

Read more about this location...

Known owners

  • Henry Lanman 1577 - 1592

Known occupants

  • Queen's Men Dates unknown
  • Chamberlain's Men 1597 - 1599
  • Queen Anna's Men 1603 - 1605
  • Prince Charles's Men 1613 - ?
  • Prince Charles's Men (2) 1622 - ?

'View of the City from the North' showing the Curtain (Courtesy of Utrecht University)

Click here for more images...

Address

Hewett Street
EC2A 3NN

Latitude/longitude

51.52286961,-0.08035516

National Grid Reference

533289 182204

Directions

From the Theatre site walk north along New Inn Broadway, right along New Inn Yard, turn left at Curtain Road, continue along Curtain Road after crossing Great Eastern Street to the Curtain site at the yard of the Horse and Groom pub.