playhouse opened in 1577 in Curtain Close, Finsbury Fields, Shoreditch. The Curtain was the second such public playhouse (after The Theatre) to be built in the London environs. Henry Lanman, who was the theatre's manager from 1582 to 1592, may have been responsible for its creation. Though it is said to have resembled the nearby Theatre, little is known of its construction or dimensions.

A number of companies performed at the Curtain, including Chamberlain's Men (Lord Chamberlain's Men) and Queen Anne's Men, and the theatre had a surprisingly long life. Though attempts were made by the Privy Council to close its doors, the playhouse was in use from 1577 to 1622, and it may have remained standing until the mid-1660s.