Time: 1580s, a cold winter's evening Place: The Final Curtain, a tavern of dubious repute in Deptford, London, England

The tavern is much frequented by theatre people, since it is just around the corner from one of London's principal theatres, The Swan. Many theatre patrons stop in for a drink before or after the performance, and it is also busy with workers from the nearby London docks.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth is on the throne of England - unmarried, and without a direct heir. Elizabeth rules a Protestant England that is beset by the two great Catholic powers of France and Spain. War has been threatened many times, but until now at least, it has never been loosed.

Tonight, soldiers are on the streets. A curfew has been announced. The theatre has been closed, and the performance cancelled. A case of plague has been reported in the district, and no-one is permitted to leave until this has been investigated.

The cancellation of tonight's performance - of Kit Marlowe's well-received Doctor Faustus - is the second tragedy to strike the area today. This afternoon, the dead body of Marlowe himself was carried from this tavern.