The Secret Theatre

The Dark Arts of Elizabeth I's Spymaster. Espionage, double-crossing and blackmail feature in this new spy thriller with powerful contemporary echoes.

‘It’s not enough that men are watched;
they must think themselves watched,
even when they are not’


Spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham oversees a vast surveillance network from the heart of Elizabeth I’s court. As the nation’s relationship with Europe deteriorates and civil unrest grows, Walsingham adopts ever more extreme tactics to keep his queen and country safe. But does he risk losing control of the apparatus he has created and destroying the lives of those closest to him? And can such safety ever be achieved?

The Secret Theatre asks what we are prepared to sacrifice in order to ensure our safety. Shot through with moments of the blackest humour, this smart, tense thriller has been published to coincide with the world premiere at the Sam Wanamker Playhouse in November 2017 directed by Matthew Dunster.