Shakespeare pop-up in Spitalfields

A one-day pop-up event on Bishops Square in Shoreditch, to celebrate the beginning of the festive season in true Elizabethan-era playhouse style and discover the secrets of the Curtain Theatre – one of Shakespeare’s least historically documented playhouses.

MOLA, the archaeological organisation behind the detailed three-month excavation of the Elizabethan theatre, is bringing its Time Truck to Bishops Square in Spitalfields. Visitors to the truck will be treated to high octane performances from stage combat expert Kiel O’Shea, who will present techniques used in Elizabethan playhouses. There will also be dazzling performances from The Dolphin’s Back and Shake-scene Shakespeare, Shoreditch’s critically acclaimed Shakespeare company who specialise in cue-scripted technique once used by the Bard himself. Both will treat visitors to scenes from one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated comedies, Twelfth Night – a fitting play for the festive season.

MOLA archaeologists will also be on hand to answer questions about the dig and reveal insights into life at the curtain through artefacts discovered during the dig, many of which date back as far as the 16th century. There will also be chance to view exclusive footage of the excavation process and the transformation of the site throughout the three-month period.

Finds including money boxes once used at the theatre’s box office, bird whistles which could have been used for sound effects during performances of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, tobacco pipes and drinking vessels used by theatregoers, will be on display.

Kids can also enjoy arts and crafts including money box and Christmas decoration-making and will be able to take away their very own Shakespearean playhouse tokens to decorate their Christmas trees at home.