Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch reveals clues after excavation

Archaelogists have made some rather exciting discoveries 

Archaelogists excavating Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch found exciting new discoveries which could cast new light on the original staging of Romeo and Juliet and Henry V.

Dig experts found a bigger stage with a possible passageway underneath. Archeologist Heather Knight said: “This could transform our understanding of Elizabethan theatres.”

The team also found a number of items during the excavation, including pieces from an Elizabethan children's game, old pipes, and a piece of a clay figure showing the Roman god Bacchus sitting astride a barrel. Glass beads and pins that could have been part of the actors' costumes were also found.

The remains of the theatre will be preserved around a new build called The Stage, which will contain offices, retail spaces and flats. The archaelogical discoveries will go on display in a visitor's centre on the site.

Shakespeare secrets: Archaeologists think they have found clues on original staging

Arts picks of the week: 7th-13th November

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