The house took its name from the image of a Goddess which stood in front of the theatre, but whether it was a sculptured sign or a painting must remain undecided.
THE RED BULL THEATRE
The next theatre on our list is the Red Bull, until lately unanimously assigned to the year 1609. Professor Lawrence, in his second series of Elizabethan studies, would antedate this reckoning by nearly a decade; unfortunately no reference is given for this early date. After spending many fruitless hours in search of fresh discoveries, I inserted a note in Notes and Queries, receiving by return one private communication, and a few answers through the journal itself. Although my note was perfectly clear, the information was what was already known, and dealt chiefly with the later fortunes of the Red Bull.
Professor Baker, even as late as 1907, dates the opening of the theatre after 1608. The observant reader will readily perceive that the history of the early English stage is in a state of chaos. Scholars such as Mr. Greg, Mr. Chambers, Sir Sidney Lee, and Prof. Lawrence, who are especially endowed with thorough knowledge of the subject, should for the benefit of posterity undertake the colossal task of re-writing the history of the stage during the Shakesperean period. Mr. Fleay’s chronicle history of the stage is much too fragmentary, from the theatrical point of view, for the guidance either of the general student or readers interested in the subject.
In my opinion all Collier’s works must be entirely discarded as this dishonest littérateur forged documents, notes, and even whole books, in order to substantiate his theories. Certainly he possessed great knowledge of the matter, and may well be termed the pioneer in scientific research, but his criminal methods require that the student must verify all his statements, therefore if the reader is wise, all this author’s works should be rejected on account of the difficulty of distinguishing the true from the false.
The site of the Red Bull is situated near the Clerkenwell Road end of St. John Street, formerly called St. John Street Road. On the left hand side, going towards the Angel, Islington, is Hayward’s Place; close by is Woodbridge Street, on this space stood the Red Bull. Previous to the year 1609 nothing is heard of this theatre in the annals of the stage. Recently documents have come to light proving its earlier existence, and, as stated above, Professor Lawrence would place the date as early as 1600. A well-known print of this theatre, of which I possess the original copy, is generally styled “The inside of the Red Bull Theatre.” This engraving first appeared in a book called Kirkman’s Wits or Sport upon Sport, published in two parts, a second edition being reissued in one volume in 1673, with the engraving as frontispiece, the original print does not bear any inscription; this is found only on the modern reproduction issued in 1809. The print was sold separately which may possibly account for the fanciful description. One glance at the drawing will convince the student that the print can in no way be associated with the old Red Bull Theatre. The Red Bull was a public theatre, being open to the sky, with a thatched roof, performances being given only in the daytime. Now the print plainly indicates by the inclusion of chandeliers hanging from the roof, as well as a row of rabbit-eared footlights along the front, that if a contemporary theatre is represented a private one is intended.
Reproduced from an original engraving in the possession of the Author. Erroneously inscribed as the interior of the Red Bull Theatre. Now generally identified as the inside of a theatre during the Commonwealth.
The massing of spectators on either side of the stage is evidence that the drawing is an imaginary one, made up partly from an early Elizabethan stage, combined with the Restoration Stage of Charles II.
Possibly it may represent a real stage of the latter period, but cannot under any circumstances resemble the old Red Bull Playhouse during any time of its existence. Seven characters are represented on the stage, illustrating a few of the plays that could be acted by a strolling company. The principal motive of Kirkman’s book is “for those players who intend to wander or go a strolling; this very Book and a few ordinary properties are enough to set them up and get money in any Town in England.”