Building    From 1600  To 1649

Fortune Theatre - EC1

Categories: Theatre

Knowledge of London says: "One of the earliest theatres, the Fortune Theatre . . . was first opened in 1600 by Philip Henslowe and Edward Allen {Alleyn}. It burnt down in 1621 and was rebuilt soon afterwards only to be destroyed again by fire in 1649 only this time deliberately by a fanatical Puritan soldier."

This was clearly a theatrical area, since, nearby on the corner of Fortune Street and Golden Lane was a Nursery - a training school for young actors. Samuel Pepys’ diary entry for 2nd August 1664 reads :
"I chanced to sit by Tom Killigrew {a dramatist and theatre manager}, who tells me that he is setting up a Nursery; that is, is going to build a house in Moorefields, wherein he will have common plays acted. But four operas it shall have in the year, to act six weeks at a time; where we shall have the best scenes and machines, the best musique, and every thing as magnificent as is in Christendome; and to that end hath sent for voices and painters and other persons from Italy".

The Fortune Theatre in WC2 was named after this one.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Fortune Theatre - EC1

Commemorated ati

Fortune Theatre

Good master Edward Alleyn's Fortune Theatre stood on a site near here in 1600.

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Fortune Theatre - WC2

{Above a stylised picture of two performers:} Fortune Theatre. A 'jewel of a ...

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