Archaeologists May Have Discovered London's Earliest Playhouse 10 June 2020

Archaeologists may have discovered London's earliest playhouse 10 June 2020

who later went on to construct The Theatre, Shoreditch in 1576 with James Burbage, his brother-in-law and member of acting company The Lord Chamberlain's Men. The Theatre was the first permanent home for acting troupes, and a venue that staged a young Shakespeare's plays in the 1590s.

The only information known about the Red Lion playhouse is from two lawsuits of 1567 and 1569 between the proprietor, John Brayne, and the carpenters responsible for elements of the playhouse's construction. The 1567 lawsuit

describes timber scaffolds being located at "the Credit: Archaeology South-East / UCL house called the red lyon" and the 1569 lawsuit mentions a "farme house called and knowen by the name of the Sygne of the Redd Lyon" as being a site of an outdoor stage and seating. The elusive remains of what is thought to be the earliest Elizabethan playhouse, known as the Red The first lawsuit details 'scaffolds' or galleries Lion, were discovered by Archaeology South-East, around the stage, suggesting they were substantial. part of UCL's Institute of Archaeology. The The second lawsuit relates to the quality of work, playhouse is thought to have been built around and crucially includes description of the stage and 1567. dimensions: 40ft (12.2m) north to south, by 30ft (9.1m) east to west, and standing at a height of 5ft Stephen White, who directed the excavation for (1.5m) above the ground. UCL Archaeology South-East, said, "This is one of the most extraordinary sites I've worked on. After The actual location of the Red Lion has long been nearly five hundred years, the remains of the Red debated. Analysis of historic mapping and the three Lion playhouse, which marked the dawn of specific land deeds that relate to the location of the Elizabethan theatre, may have finally been found. Red Lion (dated 1688-89) suggested it was on or near the Whitechapel site, but before the "The strength of the combined excavations no physical evidence had been found evidence—archaeological remains of buildings, in for the playhouse or the farm. the right location, of the right period, seem to match up with characteristics of the playhouse In January 2019, the archaeological excavations in recorded in early documents. It is a privilege to be Whitechapel started to uncover an unusual able to add to our understanding of this exciting rectangular timber structure, comprising 144 period of history." surviving timbers and measuring 12.27m north- south by 9.27m east-west. At these dimensions, the The Red Lion playhouse is widely regarded as the structure closely matches those detailed for the earliest known purpose-built playhouse of the stage mentioned in the lawsuits. Postholes around Elizabethan period. It was set up by John Brayne, the timber structure appear to correspond with the "scaffolds", or galleried seating.

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In the north-east corner of site, fronting what was and closely monitored by Historic England to ensure once Mile End Green, excavations revealed the site was carefully excavated and fully recorded 15th/16th century buildings that later became a allowing it to be best understood. sprawling complex during the 17th century. These buildings may represent the Red Lion inn itself, All finds are now back in the lab, where evolving over centuries from a medieval farmstead. archaeologists are continuing with the meticulous Farmsteads of this period were known to serve analysis of this discovery, looking to refine the beer, and this one was established enough to have interpretations and conclusions. a prototype playhouse built on its land by the late 16th century. It eventually became a more formal inn that continued at least into the 18th century. Provided by University College London

Of the buildings uncovered, two are probable cellars, identified as beer cellars by UCL Archaeology South-East's historic buildings specialist Dr. Michael Shapland. He said, "Tudor period inns needed somewhere cool and secure to store their drink, as beer would have gone off much more rapidly than it does today."

The artefacts recovered further support the possibility that the Red Lion inn has been found. Glass and pottery assemblages include numerous beakers and drinking glasses, ceramic cups, two- handled drinking mugs, bottles, and tankards. One complete late-17th century tavern mug has a royalist medallion of Charles II, and other tankards feature tavern or landlord names. These finds are on a commercial scale indicating the consumption of hot drinks and alcohol that continued into at least the 18th century.

Emily Gee, Historic England's Regional Director for London and the South East, said: "This tantalising find follows the exciting recent discoveries of The Theatre and The Curtain playhouses in Shoreditch, and of the Boar's Head in Aldgate, which together have immensely improved our understanding of the beginnings of English theatre. We will continue to work closely with the developer to interpret these archaeological remains and display them so the public will be able to understand them within the finished development and appreciate the rich history of this site."

The archaeological investigations were commissioned by RPS Group on behalf of Mount Anvil and L&Q, ahead of housing redevelopment at 85 Stepney Way. The work was required by the London Borough Tower Hamlets and agreed with

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APA citation: Archaeologists may have discovered London's earliest playhouse (2020, June 10) retrieved 23 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2020-06-archaeologists-london-earliest-playhouse.html

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