the plaque at St. Leonard's

"THIS STONE IS PLACED HERE to the GLORY OF GOD IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the WORK DONE FOR ENGLISH DRAMA by the PLAYERS-MUSICIANS and OTHER MEN of the THEATRE WHO ARE BURIED WITHIN the PRECINCTS of this CHURCH and IN PARTICULAR TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO ARE NAMED BELOW.

JAMES BURBAGE . died 1597 . A JOINER by TRADE and the HEAD OF LORD LEICESTER'S PLAYERS WHO in 1576 BUILT IN SHOREDITCH THE FIRST ENGLISH PLAYHOUSE ::: THIS HE CALLED THE THEATRE CUTHBERT BURBAGE . died 1636 . his SON who in 1599 BUILT in SOUTHWARK the FAMOUS GLOBE PLAYHOUSE RICHARD BURBAGE . died 1619 . at so his SON THE GREAT TRAGEDIAN AND the FIRST ACTOR to PLAY the PARTS of RICHARD III and HAMLET WILLIAM SOMERS . died 1569 . COURT JESTER TO HENRY VIII . RICHARD TARLTON . died 1588 . one of QUEEN ELIZABETH'S PLAYERS . and the FOREMOST COMIC ACTOR of his TIME . GABRIEL SPENCER . died 1598 . a PLAYER at THE ROSE THEATRE WILLIAM SLY . died 1608 . AND RICHARD COWLEY . died 1619 . PLAYERS at THE GLOBE THEATRE"