The Rose (theatre)
However, Henslowe recognized the ease at which audiences could ferry across the River of Thames and established a playhouse in this particular location.
Modern calculations show that the dimensions and fourteen-sided layout were dictated by the use of the standard 16th-century measure of one rod as a base and the carpenter's "rule of thumb" method of dividing a circle into seven equal parts, subdivided.
[6] Henslowe's documentation of the Rose Theatre has survived, and was placed in the library of Dulwich College by its founder, Edward Alleyn, in 1619.
[5] City records indicate that The Rose was in use by late 1587; however, it is not mentioned in Henslowe's accounts between its construction and 1592, and it is possible that he leased it to an acting company with which he was not otherwise concerned.
[5] Henslowe enlarged the theatre for The Lord Admiral's Men, moving the stage further back (six feet six inches, or two metres) to make room for perhaps 500 extra spectators.
People were drawn to the comedies and tragedies performed at the Swan in contrast to the history plays for which the Rose Theatre was renowned.
[5] When the Lord Chamberlain's Men built the Globe Theatre on the Bankside in 1599, however, the Rose was put into a difficult position.
Henslowe and Alleyn had already built the Fortune, apparently to fill the vacuum created when the Chamberlain's Men left Shoreditch.
[citation needed] An action committee was formed to 'Save The Rose Theatre', being assisted by both 'Entertainment Stars and a rotation of public volunteers, to ensure the site's protection, which was continually threatened by construction crews ignorant of the potential 'English Heritage' beneath.
[citation needed] In March 1989, the remains of The Rose were again threatened with destruction resulting in a physical stand-off between the two parties at the entrance of the building development.
A campaign to save the site was launched by several well-known theatrical figures, led by Peggy Ashcroft and including Laurence Olivier and Judi Dench.
Prior to the site being given full legal protections, a fundraising street party attended by several prominent entertainers was held on 23 April 1989.
It was eventually decided to suspend the proposed building over the top of the theatre's remains, leaving them conserved beneath, resulting in what has been called "one of the weirdest sights in London".
When the Department of Greater London Archaeology (now MOLA) carried out the excavation work, the staff found many objects which are now stored in the museum itself.
[14] Initially the floor of the yard (including the area beneath the raised wooden stage) had a screeded mortar surface but when the building was extended a compacted layer of silt, ash and clinker, mixed with hazelnut shells, was used.
The nutshells were brought to the site from a nearby soap works, where the nuts were crushed for their oil, rather than evidence of litter left by the audience.
