Shakespeare's playhouse, Togo's Olympic medal
Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe are the remains of the playhouse where William Shakespeare staged some of his first works.
Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe are the remains of the playhouse where William Shakespeare staged some of his first works. Built in 1576 and known simply as “the Theatre,” the open-air structure was located in East London; Shakespeare not only performed there, he used it to premiere an early version of Hamlet. Coincidentally, the remains were discovered during construction of a new home for the famed Tower Theatre Company. “The discovery that we shall be building a 21st-century playhouse where Shakespeare played is a huge inspiration,” said company chairman Jeff Kelly.
Togo has been competing in the Summer Olympics since 1972. Not until this week, though, did the small West African nation finally win a medal, when Benjamin Boukpeti took home the bronze in the men’s single kayak slalom. His achievement was unexpected; going into the event, Boukpeti was ranked only 56th in the world. But as he reached the finish of the white-water course, the crowd loudly cheered him on and he paddled into third place with a combined time of 173.45 seconds. The victory so excited Boukpeti that he snapped his paddle in half. “I’ve got a massive party ahead of me,” he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?
In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meat
The Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published