Cuthbert Burbage sues Giles Allen in Requests court over the Theatre playhouse property. Giles Allen provides interrogatories for Philip Baker, John Goburne, and Henry Johnson, witnesses on his behalf. Allen asks his witnesses about the details of his lease of the Theatre property to James Burbage, the breakdown in negotiations for the renewal of the lease, whether £30 in rent remained unpaid at James's death, and whether James improved and maintained the property. Allen asks his witnesses if they are aware that he agreed to let the Theatre remain a performance space for only five more years after a lease renewal, and after it would be converted to another use and then remain Allen's property. Allen's questions accuse Cuthbert and his brothers of secretly acquiring the goods of James Burbage so that James's widow Ellen could claim poverty and so not pay back the debts owed by James. Allen asks the witnesses whether they are aware of John Brayne's involvement in the Theatre, the amount of profits the Burbages derived from the Theatre, and whether they were present when the Theatre was pulled down. He finally asks whether James was a good tenant and landlord and whether any of the witnesses were tenants of James Burbage.
| Name | Event Role(s) | Document Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Allen, Giles | defendant | gentleman |
| Baker, Philip | deponent | |
| Goburne, John | deponent | |
| Johnson, Henry | deponent | |
| Burbage, Ellen | executrix | widow |
| Burbage, James | leaseholder | father, playhouse owner |
| Burbage, Cuthbert | plaintiff | |
| Brayne, John | playhouse sharer |