The Swan

Relatively little is known about the Swan since hardly any evidence of its trade has survived. It was built in about 1595 by its owner Francis Langley and was a near neighbour of the Rose playhouse on Bankside, built eight years earlier.

However, one surviving piece of evidence has been crucial for theatre historians. A description and Sketch of the Swan by Johannes De Witt has proved extremely valuable in attempts to reconstruct the form of Elizabethan theatres.

The Swan was evidently an impressive theatre, with an alleged capacity of roughly 3,000, though it is likely that resident companies rarely occupied it. Indeed, evidence of only one play performed at the Swan survives – Middleton’s A Chaste Maid in Cheapside performed by Lady Elizabeth’s Men in 1613.

The last known mention of the Swan theatre was in 1632.