How Did the Elizabethan Theatre Develop?

Theatre in England didn't begin with grand purpose-built venues. It evolved gradually over more than a century before the Globe opened its doors in 1599.

The earliest form of drama was the medieval mystery play — short performances based on Bible stories, often performed on carts that were wheeled around towns. These were replaced over time by more secular styles of entertainment, partly because the Protestant Reformation made overtly religious content politically risky.

By the mid-1500s, most performances took place in inn courtyards. These were practical spaces — the audience stood in the yard or watched from surrounding galleries, and touring companies could pack up and move on. But inn courtyards were cramped, hard to control, and gave theatre companies no permanent base.

The first purpose-built theatre in London was the Red Lion, built in Whitechapel in 1567 by John Brayne. It had a raised stage but performances were not much different from inn-yard shows, and its location on open farmland made it a long journey for most Londoners.

The real turning point came in 1576, when James Burbage built The Theatre in Shoreditch — the first successful permanent theatre. It was a wooden, open-air amphitheatre with a yard and surrounding galleries. A second theatre, the Curtain, opened nearby the following year.

⭐ Exam Tip: The examiner wants to see you connect the Globe to the wider period, not just describe it in isolation. Showing how theatre changed from mystery plays to purpose-built venues is a strong way to demonstrate the second-order concept of change and continuity.

The "Midnight Heist" — Why Was the Globe Built?

The Globe wasn't built from scratch. It was born out of a legal dispute.

The Theatre had been built on land owned by a Puritan landlord, Giles Allen, who refused to renew the lease when it expired. James Burbage had died in 1597, leaving his sons Richard and Cuthbert Burbage in a precarious position — Allen wanted the building for himself.

However, there was a crucial clause in the lease: the timber of the building belonged to the Burbages, not the landowner. Knowing that Allen would be away over Christmas, the Burbage brothers acted boldly. In December 1598, on a freezing winter's night, they dismantled The Theatre timber by timber, under the supervision of master carpenter Peter Street, and had the materials transported across the Thames to Bankside in Southwark.

The following spring and summer, those same timbers were used to build a brand new theatre — the Globe.

⭐ Exam Tip: The Midnight Heist is a perfect example to use in the 16-mark question. It shows continuity (the same timber, the same acting company) alongside change (new location, new purpose, new ownership structure). It also shows the determination of individuals like the Burbages to keep theatre alive despite opposition.

Why Was the Globe Built South of the River?

The Globe was built in Bankside, Southwark — on the south bank of the Thames — and this was no accident. The location tells us a great deal about Elizabethan society and politics.

London was largely governed by the Lord Mayor and aldermen, who were deeply suspicious of theatres. They believed that large crowds attracted pickpockets, brawls and disorder. Many aldermen were also Puritans, who considered theatre to be morally corrupt and a distraction from religious worship. In 1574, the Council of London issued strict restrictions on performances within the city limits.

The solution was simple but clever: build outside the city's jurisdiction entirely. Southwark and Shoreditch were part of the "Liberties" — areas outside the city walls where the Lord Mayor had no authority. This meant theatre companies could operate legally, beyond the reach of their most determined opponents.

Theatres had to be outside the city walls to avoid the Lord Mayor's bans
Southwark was also easily accessible — Londoners could cross London Bridge or take a ferry
The area already had other entertainment venues, including bear-baiting pits
The Privy Council and the Queen's government tolerated and even supported theatre, creating a tension with city authorities that ran throughout this period

⭐ Exam Tip: The location of the Globe is brilliant evidence for the 16-mark question because it reflects one of the key tensions of Elizabethan England — between Puritan moral concerns and the Crown's appetite for entertainment and propaganda. Try to frame location not just as a practical fact, but as evidence of this wider conflict.

GCSE Elizabethan England 1568-1603 AQA

Origins and Location of The Globe