Questions at Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre
Attended LAMAS lecture on the excavations at the Curtain Theatre. Very interesting lecture which was very well presented. But, I had a lot of questions at the end of it.
I asked the question, 'if you did not know this was the Curtain, what would make you think it was a Theatre.'
There is a lot of documentary evidence to say the Curtain is here abouts but the archaeology seemed to me to be less than totally convincing.
For example, the speaker talked about the stage, the galleries and showed a very schematic image of the rectangular theatre, with post-holes showing where the gallery is. But we were shown no archaeological photos which demonstrated these 'facts' they seemed to be self-evident.
The two side gallery was evidenced by what looked like one post-hole.
The stage was said to be a stage but didn't hear any evidence to show what it is identified as a stage.
One range of foundations seemed to continue beyond the building outlines in the schematics as the 'Curtain'.
It just needs a few photos to show the evidence and maybe I was the only one to want actual evidence to say this was the Curtain. They did find ceramic money boxes similar to those found at the Glove and Rose, so there is certainly a facility here that needed an entrance fee, but not sure this proves that the rectangular space excavated was that theatre. So I think still some doubt as to whether the Curtain has been found.
Initial findings from excavation at Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre revealed | MOLA
I asked the question, 'if you did not know this was the Curtain, what would make you think it was a Theatre.'
There is a lot of documentary evidence to say the Curtain is here abouts but the archaeology seemed to me to be less than totally convincing.
For example, the speaker talked about the stage, the galleries and showed a very schematic image of the rectangular theatre, with post-holes showing where the gallery is. But we were shown no archaeological photos which demonstrated these 'facts' they seemed to be self-evident.
The two side gallery was evidenced by what looked like one post-hole.
The stage was said to be a stage but didn't hear any evidence to show what it is identified as a stage.
One range of foundations seemed to continue beyond the building outlines in the schematics as the 'Curtain'.
It just needs a few photos to show the evidence and maybe I was the only one to want actual evidence to say this was the Curtain. They did find ceramic money boxes similar to those found at the Glove and Rose, so there is certainly a facility here that needed an entrance fee, but not sure this proves that the rectangular space excavated was that theatre. So I think still some doubt as to whether the Curtain has been found.
Initial findings from excavation at Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre revealed | MOLA
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