What’s on
Join us for talks, play readings, open days, costume demonstrations, guided walks, and more…
Some events are online, some take place on the site of The Rose Playhouse itself.
We are yet to open on a daily basis, but will do so just as soon as we can.
Just by buying a ticket you are helping to support our mission, so do come along!
Coming up next…
AUGUST SUMMER HOLIDAY OPENINGS
Fri 8 & Sat 9
Fri 15 & Sat 16
Fri 22 & Sat 30
12 noon to 4pm, on-site at The Rose
We’re opening The Rose Playhouse to the public on selected dates this August, so why not drop in and see the archaeological site of Bankside’s first theatre?
Our friendly volunteers will be on hand to show you the archaeological remains as they are currently preserved, to tell you the story of the playhouse and the people involved, and to answer your questions.
£6 adults and teenagers
£20 family of four
Accompanied kids aged 12 and under go free
No booking required
– just pay at the door
To help you with your visit, you can now also use our new digital guide, available on the free Bloomberg Connects app.
It has an Archaeology Tour, a 15 minute audio guide that you can use on-site, which tells you about all our history, and shows you how the original theatre was laid out and built, together with a wealth of other information.
You’ll also find our Sonic Trail, a 75 minute immersive audio tour, allowing you to explore the surrounding area while learning about the soundscapes of Elizabethan London and their connection to attending a play at The Rose.
The app is free to download, and is available on both iOS and Android devices.
Saturday 20 September 2025
12 noon until 8.30pm on-site at The Rose
THE ROSE READATHON
Organised by The Friends of The Rose
Our hugely popular fund-raising Readathon returns for the eighth time!
Whether you want to get up on your feet and participate or prefer to just relax and watch from the audience, this is a chance to enjoy the genius of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson – all of whom wrote plays that were performed here at The Rose Playhouse on Bankside.
You can choose to join us for just one play or as many as you like, as we gallop through six plays in one day.
12.00 The Comedy of Errors
13.30 The Massacre at Paris
15.00 The Alchemist
16.30 Macbeth
18.00 Much Ado About Nothing
19.30 Twelfth Night
Each play has been cut to last just one hour.
Roles will be drawn from a hat 20 minutes before the start of each play, and scripts will be provided.
There is no entry to the building during the plays, but the site will be open half an hour before each play for drinks and snacks – cake and Tudor bites! – and learning about The Rose.
Tickets per play:
£10 to take part, £5 to watch
DISCOVERY DAY
Saturday 25 October 2025
1pm & 3pm on-site at The Rose
THE ALLEYNS’ 433rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Organised by The Friends of The Rose
Join us for a celebration of Edward and Joan Alleyns’ Wedding Anniversary.
He was The Rose’s leading actor and she was the step-daughter of The Rose’s owner, Philip Henslowe. They were married in 1592, and always celebrated theirs.
Come and discover how a rich, aspiring middle-class Elizabethan couple would have celebrated such an event:
What food would they have eaten?
How would it have been presented?
What entertainment would have been on offer?
You’ll be able to partake of a few Tudor sweetmeats, and if you want to you can join in with the dancing!
Tickets:
£10 / £7 Friends of The Rose
DISCOVERY DAY
PLAY READING
Saturday 1 November 2025
2pm on-site at The Rose
PLAY READING : RICHARD II
Organised by The Friends of The Rose
Find out about cue scripts – what they were and how Elizabethan actors used them to learn their parts.
Then you can take part in a play reading of a one hour long version of Richard II by William Shakespeare, written in 1595.
Roles will be drawn from a hat, and scripts provided.
Of – if you prefer – you can just watch!
Tickets:
Take part - £10 / £7 Friends of The Rose
Watch - £5
Coming to an event onsite at The Rose?
Please go to our Find us page for more information about your visit.
