A new Shakespeare museum in East London that was due to open this year has been delayed and doesn’t have an opening date at the moment.
The Museum of Shakespeare surface building (c) ianVisits
When it opens, the Museum of Shakespeare will tell the story of Shakespeare’s Curtain Playhouse in Spitalfields. The Curtain Playhouse is first recorded as having opened its doors in 1577 and was a cultural and social centre for London during Shakespeare’s life.
The theatre was the main venue for Shakespeare’s plays before the more famous Globe Theatre opened in Southwark at the end of the 16th century.
After the Spitalfields theatre closed, it was slowly consumed by later buildings and eventually vanished beneath London’s rising streets. The remains of the theatre were discovered in 2011 by archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) during site clearance for a new housing development.
The Museum of Shakespeare, The Stage – interior shot showing archaeology in situ (c) Timothy Soar
Sitting in the middle of the housing development just north of Liverpool Street station, the museum had originally been expected to open in early 2024. Late last year, the first photos of the museum’s interior were shown off, with an opening date announced for sometime in 2025.
It’s now been confirmed that they will miss the 2025 opening date, but are also unable to confirm when the museum will open. They expect to announce an amended opening date early next year.
In the meantime, you can sign up for news about the opening date here.
