Cain International, the privately held investment firm, has appointed creative studio Bompas & Parr to develop the Museum of Shakespeare at The Stage, the 2.3-acre mixed-use development in Shoreditch.
The firm, which has worked with brands including Coca-Cola, Mercedes and LVMH and cultural institutions like The Barbican and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, will design an immersive experience in the remains of the Curtain Playhouse. Visitors will see new archaeological discoveries while experiencing a retelling of a day in Shakespeare's life. The museum will open next year and contains the theatre where Shakespeare's Henry V and Romeo & Juliet were first premiered, opened from 1577 to 1624.
Hosting a variety of activities from plays to fencing matches, The Curtain Playhouse was a cultural and social centre during Shakespeare’s time. An archaeological excavation of the site during 2011-16 uncovered its remains, with the museum planning to make them publicly accessible for the first time.
The museum is being developed in collaboration with Museum of London Archaeology and Historic England, alongside a panel of Shakespearean academic advisers.
The 19,000-square-foot Museum of Shakespeare will be the centrepiece of The Stage, a 2.3-acre mixed-use development that includes a 37–storey residential tower with 412 apartments, two office buildings, as well as over 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurants and more than an acre of new public realm. Other partners in the development alongside Cain areMcCourt Global, Galliard Homes, Vanke, Investec and The Estate Office Shoreditch.
Jonathan Goldstein, CEO of Cain International, said: “The Museum of Shakespeare will bring a unique proposition of culture, entertainment and history to the heart of Shoreditch. We are thrilled to be working with Bompas & Parr to deliver a brilliant experience that will reinforce The Stage’s position as one of the most exciting places in central London to live, work, shop and dine.”
Harry Parr, co-founder of Bompas & Parr, said: “The Museum of Shakespeare will be the most ambitious project that Bompas & Parr has undertaken and is in line with our mission to create location-based experiences that make London a more interesting place and a city unrivalled in its cultural importance and reputation for world-class entertainment. This will be Shakespeare as you have never experienced it before.”