Curtain Theatre

The Curtain Theatre takes its name from a patch of land known as Curtain Close, a pasture that belonged to the Holywell Priory long before any stage existed here. The name refers to a curtain wall, a defensive structure once situated between two of the monastery's bastions, rather than the fabric drop you might expect to see in a modern playhouse. Built in fifteen seventy-seven, this venue became one of the first purpose-built theaters in all of London, helping to transform a fringe area known for bear-baiting into the city's premier theatrical district.