Crosse Keys Inn (Shakespeare-era site), London

Back in Elizabethan London, if you wanted to catch a play, you didn’t have to go to the Globe or the Rose. Plenty of people saw the latest dramas at... inns. Yep, inns - because what better way to enjoy a tragic monologue than from the comfort of your balcony, pint in hand?

Most inns back then were built around big central courtyards, designed for guests arriving by horse or carriage. Surely, this setup was just too good to pass up for traveling acting troupes. They’d roll in, throw up a stage in the middle, sell cheap standing tickets for the courtyard crowd, and offer premium balcony views to those willing to cough up a few extra coins. Smart business...

One of the most famous spots was the Crosse Keys Inn on Gracechurch Street. Between 1576 and 1594, it was one of only four inns officially licensed to host plays. William Shakespeare and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men themselves were regulars there, charming the crowds long before the Globe even existed.

Of course, all good things must come to a screeching bureaucratic halt. By 1594, city officials decided inn-yard theaters were getting a bit too lively (read: noisy, chaotic, and maybe a little too much ale-fueled enthusiasm). They shut down performances at inns like the Crosse Keys, pushing the action into purpose-built theaters. Ironically, those theaters - balconies ringing a central yard - basically copied the inn design they tried so hard to replace.

Fast-forward to our times: the Crosse Keys isn’t hosting Shakespearean dramas anymore, but it is still a lively gathering place. Now a massive pub with soaring ceilings and a stained-glass dome, it offers real ales, craft beers, and fresh coffee - no horse-drawn carriages needed...