With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

William Shakespeare revival set for Shoreditch

It is a rivalry that could prove to be a plague on both their proposed houses.

Four hundred years after Shakespeare began writing plays in the foetid backstreets of East London, the race is on to build a state-of-the-art theatre in the neighbourhood where he cut his artistic teeth.

Two companies – one professional and backed by one of the country’s leading classical actors, one venerable and amateur – are seeking funding to construct theatres on sites only a few hundred yards apart in Shoreditch, the birthplace of modern English drama.

Both claim to be heirs to The Theatre, London’s first purpose-built playhouse, where Shakespeare’s early plays were staged.
Read entire article at Times (UK)