Elizabethan theatre emerged in London in the late 16th century during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603. The first theatres were either inn yards or great halls within the city, but civic authorities grew unhappy with crowds gathering. Within two years, large crowds were already gathering in the suburbs outside the city walls to see plays. While the drama of Shakespeare and his contemporaries is now regarded as one of the greatest artistic achievements, players were once viewed as criminals and vagabonds under the law at that time. Theatres eventually became established playhouses that attracted audiences from almost all classes except Puritans.