Exhibition explores Canterbury’s most famous poet and playwright – Marlowe

An interactive exhibition exploring the life of Canterbury’s most famous poet and playwright, Christopher Marlowe, opens at The Beaney later this month (July).

‘The Making of Marlowe: Poet, Playwright, Provocateur’ runs in the museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 22 November and is co-curated by The Beaney and The Oxford Marlowe Project at the University of Kent.

Visitors will be able to discover artefacts, historical documents and interactive displays that bring Marlowe’s story to life.

Born in 1564, the same year as William Shakespeare, Marlowe came of age during the height of the English Renaissance.

The son of a shoemaker, he received an elite education thanks to scholarships that took him from the King’s School, Canterbury to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

By the late 1580s, he was writing for London’s commercial playhouses, completing tragedies such as Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus that stunned audiences with their power and intensity.

Marlowe’s life was as dramatic as his works. He may have served as a spy for Elizabeth I’s government while at Cambridge, while he was arrested several times in England and abroad, accused of violent behaviour and illicit activities.

His short and turbulent life ended with his death aged 29 in suspicious circumstances.

Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, said: “Christopher Marlowe is such a fascinating character.

“Celebrating another of Canterbury’s remarkable writers, a man who inspired Shakespeare, served as a spy for the Queen, challenged the religious certainties of his age, and wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language, is a real pleasure.

“Come and discover Marlowe and the colourful world he inhabited. It was an age of adventure, intrigue, creativity and change, and his story sits right at the heart of it.”

Reader in Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent, Dr Rory Loughnane, said: “This exhibition showcases the extraordinary life and literary achievements of Christopher Marlowe. With Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus, he transformed English theatre in the late 1580s before collaborating with Shakespeare on a series of history plays.

“The exhibition draws on research for the Oxford Marlowe edition, a project I co-direct with Professor Catherine Richardson (UEA).

“We are delighted to invite visitors to discover more about Marlowe’s life, works, and enduring influence through the objects, places, words, and events that shaped his world.”

‘The Making of Marlowe: Poet, Playwright, Provocateur’ is free to enter with donations encouraged. The Beaney is open every day except Monday.

This exhibition is supported by a special performance from the Natural Theatre Company on Saturday 25 July.

The Mystery and Murder of Kit Marlowe, commissioned as part of Canterbury Unlocked, leads the audience on a walking tour of the city telling the story of Marlowe’s untimely death.

Places on the tours are limited and can be pre-booked by visiting the Canterbury Museums and Galleries website.

Published: 9 July 2026