Many people are aware of the plays of William Shakespeare along with his famous playhouse, the Globe on London's Bankside. The Shakespearean London Theatres (ShaLT) project can now tell the full story behind the vast theatrical scene that thrilled London for over fifty years during the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I. This was an early theatreland that thrived from the 1570s to the closure of all theatres in 1642 when the civil wars began. Without the playhouses of the Shakespearean period, the modern theatreland of London’s West End would not have been possible.
The Guide tells the illustrated story of the playhouses, entrepreneurs, audiences, actors and dramatists that made up this founding theatrical industry. The enclosed Walking Map gives the locations of all the London theatres, offering those interested five suggested walks to visit the original London sites, all within two miles' radius of St Paul's.
Thanks also to Mr. Jeffrey L. Hewitt for his financial support of the Festival.