One of the first new kind of plays was a box office smash in the decade after the Theatre was built, Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy. Using techniques from Seneca's tragedies, this melodramatic story of bloody revenge against inhuman villains was immensely popular and set the standard for years to come. It also demonstrated that with the right play the theater could be a very profitable undertaking.

The star of The Spanish Tragedy was Edward Alleyn, who became the first show-biz star. Unlike earlier actors who were regarded as vagabonds and cheats, Alleyn was honored for his work and sought out by the high and mighty. He made a fortune in the theater, in later years competing directly with Shakespeare's company. When he died he was wealthy enough to endow his own school for boys from humble backgrounds, like himself and Shakespeare.