The Great Bard's Theatre

Archaeologists unearth Shakespeare's first theatre

Location: New Inn Broadway, off Gt Eastern Street, EC2A

Description: Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of what is believed to be one of the earliest playhouses in the city and the first to present a Shakespeare play.

The open-air theater in Shoreditch, in East London, was once known as the 'Theatre' and was where Shakespeare appeared as an actor with the troupe Lord Chamberlain's Men. It is also believed to be where his plays were first presented.

The discovery was made by archaeologists for the Museum of London, which says it has found the site of the theatre, which opened in 1576. Jo Lyon, a senior archaeologist at the museum, said in a statement, 'We can now start to work on the detail of what the building here might have looked like and expand our knowledge of the playhouses of Elizabethan London.'

Previous excavations by the museum have taken place at the sites of the Rose, Globe and Hope Theaters.

Tours: rock london

Tours: Elizabethan & Stuart London

Themes: Theatre Theatre Theme