The Rose (theatre)

The Rose was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the first of several playhouses to be situated in Bankside, Southwark, in a "liberty" outside the jurisdiction of London's civic authorities.

The Rose was built in 1587 by Philip Henslowe and John Cholmley. It was enlarged a few years later. It was polygonal in shape, about 21 metres in diameter and may have held well over 2000 people.

The Rose was home to the Admiral's Men for several years. Henslowe had interests in other theatres, including the Fortune (built in 1600), and when the lease ran out on The Rose in 1605 it was abandoned.

In 1989, the remains of the Rose were threatened with destruction by building development. A campaign to save the site was launched by several well-known theatrical figures, including Peggy Ashcroft and Laurence Olivier, and eventually a compromise was reached whereby the foundations of The Rose could be preserved. Visitors to London can now view them.