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The Blackfriars Playhouse
Playhouse Yard a small back street, dwarfed by a new red bricked American Bank, previous site of the Times Newspaper Building. This unobtrusive yard once housed The Blackfriars Theatre, an Elizabethan Playhouse that was obtained by James Burbage in February, 1596, purchased from the executors of Sir Thomas Cawarden estate for the price of £600, a large amount of money in those days.
The land, previously part of the Dominican monks or Blackfriars, forming part of their monastery, ended by the act of Henry VIII dissolving all London's monasteries. Burbage had obtained these rooms, both large and small, cellars and yards, including seven great upper rooms”, formerly one great room, then turning the rooms into a playhouse. It was in 1608 that the regular players including William Shakespeare, obtained a part ownership in the company. Other than the name Playhouse Yard there is very little left to remind us of the theatre that once stood here, except for the small piece of black wall standing at the corner of the building, part of the Elizabethan Playhouse.
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