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It costs £3,000 a month simply to maintain the archaeological site and our operations, as we develop our future plans.
So if you can, please make a donation now.
Any amount, large or small, will be hugely appreciated.
Our story…
The Rose Playhouse was the first purpose-built professional theatre on Bankside, on the south side of the River Thames, in Southwark.
It was the brain-child of Philip Henslowe, a local businessman. In 1585, he leased a garden plot of land called The Little Rose on which he constructed the playhouse. It opened in 1587.
His new theatre was a huge success, attracting such large audiences that Henslowe expanded the playhouse sometime around 1592.
This was also the year that Henslowe’s step-daughter, Joan, married the actor Edward Alleyn, who became Henslowe’s business partner as well as The Rose’s star performer.
William Shakespeare also acted at The Rose, and his earliest tragedy, Titus Andronicus, was first performed here.
Many of the other major dramatists of the time, like Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, Thomas Dekker, George Chapman, Thomas Heywood, and Ben Jonson, also wrote for The Rose before it closed around 1605, when Henslowe’s lease on the land finally came to an end.
But in the space of just twenty years, Henslowe and The Rose had changed the face of English drama, and laid the foundations for theatre as we know it today.
Cut-away illustration of The Rose when it opened in 1587, by William Dudley
The fascinating history of The Rose is remarkably well documented, thanks to the survival of Henslowe’s papers and account book – his ‘Diary’ – but the remains of the playhouse itself were thought to be lost to time.
Then, in 1989, this exceptionally significant piece of Shakespearean and Elizabethan cultural heritage was rediscovered during construction work, to the delight and wonder of the local community, archaeologists, historians, academics, and theatre lovers worldwide.
A hastily-assembled and impassioned campaign to ‘Save The Rose’ was launched, supported by many of the leading names in British theatre, to try to save the archaeological remains from destruction and ensure their preservation.
Interior view from the south-west corner of The Rose, looking across the flooded remains up towards the raised viewing platform on the eastern side.
The campaign succeeded – the office block that was due to be built on the site was redesigned to allow the preservation of the remains, which are now legally protected as a Scheduled Monument.
The Rose Playhouse celebrates Shakespeare’s genius, and the first great flourishing of drama in the English language.
This was the stage where Marlowe delighted and amazed Elizabethan crowds…
The stage for which Shakespeare wrote his first tragedy, the stage where he acted and learnt his craft…
The stage which changed the course of English drama, and laid the foundations for theatre as we know it today.
The Rose Revealed
These are the only complete surviving and fully excavatable archaeological remains of an Elizabethan playhouse.
At the moment, however, only two thirds have been properly excavated. The site has now been designated a scheduled monument at risk, and there is an urgent need to complete this work.
The Rose Theatre Trust has been given the responsibility of completing the excavation of the remaining third of the site still waiting to be explored, and then ensuring the preservation of all the remains for future generations to come.
Once this archaeological work has been completed, the site will then become an exhibition, learning centre, and performance space called The Rose Revealed, celebrating the creativity of the Golden Age of English drama. Visitors will be immersed in its history on the actual site of the original Rose Playhouse, the cradle of Shakespeare’s genius.
The Rose Revealed is not just ‘A most rare vision’ (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), it is a vital mission.
With your support, The Rose Revealed will become the central focus of an Elizabethan cultural quarter on Bankside – joining Southwark Cathedral (where Shakespeare’s brother, Edmund, is buried), the remains of Winchester Palace, the site of the Clink Prison, the replica of The Golden Hinde at Mary Overie Dock, and the original site of The Globe theatre, with the modern reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe close by.
The Rose Revealed will be at the heart and centre of this unique part of London, where great drama flowered in the first Elizabethan age, and where – during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II – drama, music and art have blossomed again.
Be part of history. Be part of bringing The Rose Playhouse back to life.
A message from Dame Judi Dench
“ We must try harder. Here is this extraordinary, unique place that thousands of people will want to see.
We just need this to happen!
We need The Rose to come back to us all, and to be a place that we know that Shakespeare worked in and his actors acted in. ”
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Join The Friends of The Rose
One of the best ways to get involved with us is to become a member of The Friends of The Rose.
Benefits of membership include receiving our monthly Friends’ newsletter, members only outings and events, and discounts for performances and events at The Rose, both online and on-site.