"Remains of earliest purpose-built playhouse found in east London" from an article of www.theguardian.com

This article is certainly of interest for literature addicts. The whole article may be found and read here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/10/remains-of-earliest-purpose-built-playhouse-found-in-east-london

Archaeologists believe they have found remains of one of the most elusive of all known Elizabethan structures - the earliest purpose-built playhouse in Britain and a prototype for a theatre that staged plays by a young William Shakespeare.

The Red Lion is thought to have been built around 1567 and probably played host to travelling groups of players. Its precise location has been the subject of conjecture and debate for a number of years, but archaeologists are as certain as they can be that they have found its remains at a site in the East End of London where a self-storage facility once stood.

"It is not what I was expecting when I turned up to do an excavation in Whitechapel, I have to be honest," said Stephen White, the lead archaeologist on a team from UCL Archaeology South-East. "This is one of the most extraordinary sites I've worked on."

The Red Lion playhouse was created by John Brayne, who nine years later went on to construct the Theatre in Shoreditch with James Burbage, the father of the Elizabethan actor Richard Burbage. The Theatre was the first permanent home for acting troupes and staged plays by Shakespeare in 1590. After a dispute it was dismantled and its timbers used in the construction of the more famous Globe on Bankside.

Before the Globe and the Theatre, there was the Red Lion, which was in effect a prototype, said White.

All that is known of the Red Lion comes from two lawsuits describing timber scaffolds or galleries around the stage. The stage measured 40ft (12.2 metres) north to south by 30ft (9.1 metres) east to west, at a height of 5ft (1.5 metres).

White recalled the mounting excitement when they realised they were discovering evidence of just such a structure. "We started finding timbers and then uncovered this whole structure. It was very exciting."

The playhouse structure was part of a complex that included the Red Lion Inn. Among other discoveries are probable beer cellars as well as beakers, drinking glasses and tankards.

The team also found bone groups of dogs whose teeth had been filed down. That and other evidence suggests the playhouse was reused as a baiting pit in the 17th century.

Little is known about what plays were performed at the Red Lion, apart from a fragment of evidence about one called Samson, a lost play by an unknown writer.

The archaeological dig was ordered by Tower Hamlets council before the site is developed for flats at 85 Stepney Way.

Emily Gee, Historic England's regional director for London and the south-east, said the find followed the exciting recent discoveries of the Theatre and the Curtain playhouses in Shoreditch and the Boar's Head in Aldgate, all of which "have immensely improved our understanding of the beginnings of English theatre".

She added: "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."