    blackfriars theatre was the name given to two separate theatres located in the former blackfriars dominican priory in the city of london during the renaissance. the first theatre began as a venue for the children of the chapel royal, child actors associated with the queen's chapel choirs who from 1576 to 1584 staged plays in the vast hall in the former monastery.. the second theatre dates from the purchase of the upper part of the priory and another building by james burbage in 1596, which included the parliament chamber on the upper floor that was converted into the playhouse.. the children of the chapel played in the theatre beginning in the autumn of 1600 until the king's men took over in 1608.. they successfully used it as their winter playhouse until all the theatres were closed in 1642 when the english civil war began.. ==first theatre== blackfriars theatre was built on the grounds of the former dominican monastery. the black robes worn by members of this order lent the neighbourhood, and theatres, their name. in the pre-reformation tudor years, the site was used not only for religious but also for political functionsâperhaps most notably, the annulment trial of catherine of aragon and henry viii which, some eight decades later, would be reenacted in the same room by shakespeare's company.henry viii, apparently a collaboration between shakespeare and john fletcher, probably dates to 1613. after henry's expropriation of monastic property, the monastery became the property of the crown; control of the property was granted to sir thomas cawarden, master of the revels. cawarden used part of the monastery as revels offices; other parts he sold or leased to the neighbourhood's wealthy residents, including lord cobham and john cheke. after cawarden's death in 1559, the property was sold by lady cawarden to sir william more. in 1576, richard farrant, then master of windsor chapel leased part of the former buttery from more in order to stage plays. as often in the theatrical practice of the ti
1596_establishments_in_England 1650s_disestablishments_in_England 1655_disestablishments 17th_century_in_London Former_buildings_and_structures_in_the_City_of_London Former_theatres_in_London Theatres_completed_in_1576