Set to open next year, it will combine modern experiential technology with the excavated Curtain Playhouse

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Plans for a new Shakespeare museum have been revealed, to be created in Shoreditch within the archaeological remains of The Curtain Playhouse, the site of some of Shakespeare’s first plays.

An archaeological excavation of the site during 2011-16 first uncovered the remains of the theatre. The Museum of Shakespeare is now set to make them publicly accessible for the first time.

Set to open in spring 2024, the museum is being developed in collaboration with Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) and Historic England, alongside a panel of Shakespearean academic advisors.

Creative studio Bompas & Parr will deliver the museum at The Stage, a 2.3- acre mixed-use development which also includes apartments, office buildings, retail and restaurant space.

The museum will be located three metres underground with an entrance at ground level. Inside, the experience will recreate the surroundings of 1598, with a projected reconstruction of the Playhouse and animated performances alongside original objects.

Visitors will be able to view the remains of The Curtain Playhouse and reportedly will be given a chance to take to the stage to experience performing for themselves.

Harry Parr, Co-Founder of Bompas & Parr said: “The Museum of Shakespeare will be the most ambitious project that Bompas & Parr has undertaken and is in line with our mission to create location-based experiences that make London a more interesting place and a city unrivalled in its cultural importance and reputation for world-class entertainment.

“This will be Shakespeare as you have never experienced it before.”

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