Cockpit, The

▪ theatre, London, United Kingdom

also called  (after 1618) The Phoenix,  

      private playhouse located in Drury Lane, London. Built in 1609 for cockfighting, the small, tiered building was converted into a theatre in 1616 by Christopher Beeston (Beeston, Christopher). The following year, however, it was burned down by rioters. The theatre was rebuilt in 1618 and given the name the Phoenix, though it was commonly referred to by its previous name.

      Converted into a theatre for Queen Anne's Men, of which Beeston was a member, The Cockpit housed several companies, including a French troupe and the Beeston's Boys. After Beeston's death in 1638, his son William became manager, but he was replaced by Sir William Davenant (Davenant, Sir William) after presenting a play that offended King Charles I. In 1642 an act of Parliament closed all theatres. The Cockpit, however, illicitly staged shows, and in 1649 it was raided. In the late 1650s, Oliver Cromwell granted Davenant special permission to present two of his musicals: The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru (1658) and Sir Francis Drake (1659), which are among the first English operas. In 1660 theatres were allowed to reopen, and John Rhodes became manager of The Cockpit. Competition from the nearby Drury Lane Theatre, however, forced the playhouse to close in 1665.

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