Golden Lane Research Articles

Records of players in the Parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate

The parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate is a most important one in the history of the early English drama. Within its confines and some five minutes walk to the north of the parish church stood the Fortune theatre, whose ancient site is still marked by the Playhouse Yard running between Golden Lane and White-cross Street. There are Elizabethan aspects to the parish still. One cannot elbow his way through the grimy crowds of White-cross Street Market and hear the occasional “Buy, buy, buy!” and the commoner “They're love-ly! They're love-ly!” and watch the haggling over fish and peepshows and lace and panaceas without thinking of earlier days.