James Burbage - James Burbage & The Theatre

James Burbage & The Theatre

In 1576, Burbage and his partner John Brayne decided to create a new, permanent stage for London acting groups. It was one of the first permanent theaters to be built in London since the time of the Romans.

Brayne was Burbage's brother-in-law and was considered a wealthy man. It was his investment (and the mortgage Burbage took out on the lease of The Theatre's grounds) that allowed The Theatre to be created with equal shares of profit between the two men. There were some financial difficulties involving the construction of The Theatre, which led Burbage and Brayne to stage plays in the building before construction was complete; the proceeds from these plays helped finance the building's construction.

Despite partnering with John Brayne, the lease of The Theatre's site was signed by Burbage alone on April 13, 1576, to begin on March 25, 1576. Since Burbage owned the lease, he also received rent money for properties on the site. Under this lease, he paid roughly £14 a year. The exact builder of The Theatre is unknown, though a likely candidate is James Burbage's brother Robert, who was a carpenter.

Between 1594 and 1598, The Theatre (under a Privy council order) gave The Theatre venue exclusively to Richard Burbage's acting troupe The Lord Chamberlain's Men (which included a then-new playwright William Shakespeare).

Though well received by the public, much of The Theatre's operation was marred with legal and monetary disputes.