‘The Stage – Shoreditch’ creates the setting to the Curtain Theatre – where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was first performed Plans for the excavation and exhibition of the remains of the Curtain Theatre – which date back to the 16th Century and was London’s second oldest Shakespearean playhouse – have been submitted to Hackney Council. The Curtain Theatre is the best preserved Elizabethan theatre discovered to date and is of both national and international significance. When it’s discovery was made public last year, the interest from Shakespeare enthusiasts was phenomenal – indicating what is likely to become a top destination, in the London Borough of Hackney.
The remains of the Curtain Theatre, which lie 3m below ground level, include the original stage floor and brick walls that supported the ‘Wooden O’, of Henry V fame. The exact location is currently largely covered by buildings and a disused service yard, therefore the redevelopment of the area is the only way to uncover the remains for preservation and public enjoyment. The site’s owners, Plough Yard Developments, now want to make the remains of The Curtain Theatre into the centrepiece of a new development.
The plans propose the construction of an exhibition and performance space that will connect the theatre to a new open square. The exhibition space will be surrounded by a large piazza, brought to life by a mix of new homes, offices, shops and restaurants for Shoreditch. The Curtain Theatre lies on a 2.5 acre site, on Curtain Road, at the heart of east London’s "Tech City cluster". The aim is to attract original and innovative businesses and shops to locate there. Listed buildings will be preserved and a new open space accessible to the public of more than an acre will be created, comparable in size to the Courtyard of the Royal Academy, Piccadilly. The exhibition area will exceed 10,000 sq ft in area.
The site is bounded by Curtain Road, Hewett Street, Plough Yard and Hearn Street and is currently a lifeless zone between the thriving areas of Shoreditch and the City. Around the site’s perimeter will include circa 250,000 sq ft of new office 
accommodation, addressing a major shortfall in the area, supported by circa 50,000 sq ft of retail. This will provide a significant contribution to employment space in the area and boost to the local economy. The north-eastern corner of the site, some distance away from the Curtain Theatre remains, will provide 385 apartments within a 40 storey residential building. The scheme has been sensitively designed to address the stark contrast between the City and Shoreditch town.
