Museum of Shakespeare to open in London next year

A new museum will open in east London next year exploring the life of William Shakespeare.

The Museum of Shakespeare will be a permanent interactive experience within the archaeological remains of The Curtain Playhouse, Shoreditch.

It will focus on the culture of London in the 16th Century and the life and inspirations of the famous playwright.

"This will be Shakespeare as you have never experienced it before," said Harry Parr, co-founder of the project.

The Curtain Playhouse was a cultural and social centre in London during Shakespeare's life and housed performances of Henry V and Romeo and Juliet.

An archaeological excavation of the site between 2011 and 2016 revealed its remains, which will be made publicly accessible for the first time in the museum.

The Museum of Shakespeare was designed by creative studio Bompas & Parr in collaboration with Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) and Historic England.

It is part of a 2.3-acre (one-hectare) development site, with 412 apartments and offices and shops, led by Cain International.

Mr Parr, of Bompas & Parr, said he wanted London to be "a city unrivalled in its cultural importance and reputation for world-class entertainment".

Visitors to The Museum of Shakespeare will be able to "soak up the sights, smells, sounds and people" who inspired the playwright through a series of interactive displays and workshops, including a projected reconstruction of the playhouse, the creators said.

Dr Callan Davies, of the University of Roehampton and author of What is a Playhouse? said: "It's fantastic that Elizabethan London's longest-lived playhouse, which has so many stories to tell about creativity and opportunity, can adapt once more to show how performance worked, why it mattered, and why it still does today."

The museum is set to open in spring 2024.

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