Rose Theatre Trust — Attraction in London

I'm happy to give the Rose Theatre Trust a full five stars because of its sui generis nature but that comes with a caveat. This is not a theatre in the modern sense of the word with a bar, toilets or even heating. Instead it is the ghost of a theatre or perhaps a shadow of the start of theatre as an art form.

Allow me to explain. The Rose Theatre was the first purpose-built building in London constructed for the presentation of plays. That was all a long time ago and now all that's left are the foundations. And even these are currently hidden by sand, water and concrete to keep them preserved. So there's really nothing to see.

Instead you have to imagine and that's where the volunteers running the trust really shine. We took part (in the fullest sense of the word) in their recent Twelfth Night event. This evoked the post-Christmas celebrations of past times quite physically and took us to another place entirely. It was great fun. But to enjoy the event you needed to want to participate rather than be passively entertained.

So the Rose Theatre Trust is currently and continually trying to raise funds so that one day the old theatre can be uncovered for all to enjoy. It's a tall order but I think that it will happen if enough of us pitch in with the sufficient belief in the power of determination. Just don't arrive, if you can find the quite unremarkable entrance, with West End...

This "venue" is totally devoid of atmosphere, it is so disappointing. The Rose Playhouse is under water and much of it not yet excavated, all it is at present is a few uncomfortable seats with a curtain around them. Not an atmospheric "archeological site" but a dump without loos. The 5-minute interval was not enough for people to go to the Globe to use their loos. This is just terrible. One member of staff rude, so we asked for refunds. I would not recommend this site, when there are plenty of amazing...

Fantastic, moody bit of London history - this is the first theatre to ever stage a Shakespeare production. So you're standing where the man himself was. Yeah, there's some water in the bottom of it, but it's not because there's a giant neglected leak like it's some ropey hotel. You're looking at something that's old in the most invigorating way, and whether you just marvel at the cumulative history or see a production there, it's...