Archaeologists may have discovered London’s earliest playhouse

The earliest playhouse in London may have been discovered at a site in Whitechapel, by a team of archaeologists from UCL. The elusive remains of what is thought to be the earliest Elizabethan playhouse, known as the Red Lion, were discovered by Archaeology South-East, part of UCL's Institute of Archaeology. The playhouse is thought to have been built around 1567. Stephen White, who directed the excavation for UCL Archaeology South-East, said, "This is one of the most extraordinary sites I've worked on. After nearly five hundred years, the remains of the Red Lion playhouse, which marked the dawn of Elizabethan theatre, may have finally been found. "The strength of the combined evidence - archaeological remains of buildings, in the right location, of the right period, seem to match up with characteristics of the playhouse recorded in early documents. It is a privilege to be able to add to our understanding of this exciting period of history." The Red Lion playhouse is widely regarded as the earliest known purpose-built playhouse of the Elizabethan period.