[MR] BBC: Restoration Finds Board the Bard Trod

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Recently the BBC reported on restoration work at St. George's Guildhall in
King's Lynn, Norfolk. The building dates to 1419, and plays were being
performed in the theatre there as early as 1445. It is the oldest working
theatre in England, and probably has the only surviving stage where the
Bard of Avon might have performed.

During 1592-1593 London theatres were closed because of plague. The Earl of
Pembroke's Men, a company that is believed to have included William
Shakespeare, decamped to King's Lynn.

The restoration work has stripped the floor down to its original level,
revealing a treasure trove of information. This includes bits of dropped
food and other debris that literally fell through the cracks, the
equivalent of modern spilled popcorn and discarded black Ju Ju Bees. This
follows last year's discovery of a door to what is thought to have been a
dressing room where the Bard may have primped before going on stage.

The story can be found at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7l9lqnyzo .

An earlier story about the theatre is at
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67007980 .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge 🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.