Reconstructing the Blackfriars District in the Age of Shakespeare

To be given by Prof Christopher Highley

In this talk Professor Highley will introduce a new digital project that he is part of called Shakespeare’s Theaterscape: London Playhouse Districts (1576-1642). Its goal is to better understand the place of particular playhouses within their urban contexts by mapping the surrounding neighbourhoods.  In this period, the Blackfriars neighbourhood was actually home to two theatres, the first of which was eventually taken over and repurposed by the Society of Apothecaries.  The memories of other notable buildings, institutions, and businesses like the glasshouse, the King’s printing house, and the parish church of St. Anne, linger on in the names of local yards and lanes, while others like the tennis courts, fencing school, and the mansions of leading aristocratic families have long vanished.  By exploring the new digital map and discussing the historic sources underlying it, we will get a more complete picture of the various sites and activities that made Blackfriars such a dynamic and bustling corner of life in the capital.

Christopher Highley is Professor of English at The Ohio State University and the director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.  His most recent book is Blackfriars in Early Modern London: Theatre, Church, and Neighbourhood (Oxford University Press, 2022).

Refunds, minus a £5 admin fee (per ticket), will be offered, upon request, to anyone cancelling for any reason up to six working days before an event.  After this time, no refunds are available.

To Book:
Members’ via (LMS):  Click here to book
Non-members, please contact Beci Ryan to purchase tickets: Friends@apothecaries.org