PHOTOCOPIABLE 1 ‘chorus’ commented who The Ancient Greeks createdThe Ancient Greeks theatre Amphitheatres were usually were usually Amphitheatres Ancient Greek Greek Ancient (1000 the stage inasemi-circle.the stage tiered seating surrounding Sophocles, AristophanesSophocles, works ofworks famous Greek andused wore masks Most plays were based and Euripedes, are still and Euripedes, The grandiose gestures. Actors on theaction. involvedand often a and legends, on myths cut into ahillside,with called amphitheatres. performed today.performed such as playwrights, purpose-built theatres purpose-built

BC –146 BC

) History of theatre The Romans continued theatrical theGreek AD (753 Roman theatre fi Colosseum inRome, which was built between tradition. Theirtheatrestradition. resembled Greek Roman theatre. Theatrical events were huge amphitheatres butwere built ontheirown stage. Roman worestage. actors specifi andcouldspectacles involve acrobatics, dancing, foundations The enclosed andoften on allsides. represent different types of familiar represent characters. types different on ghting oranimalbeingkilled ora person 72 and BC AD – www.scholastic.co.uk/junioredplus AD 80, isanexampleof atraditional 476) c costumes to After the Romans left Britain, theatre Britain, theRomans left After (900s–1500s) Medieval theatre time when church services were churchtime when services and messagesto could peoplewho designed to teach Christian stories playsconducted were inLatin, churches, andlater At outdoors. a and ‘mystery’ in plays performed playsof morals with religious dramas, during the10th intheform century It wasreintroducedall butdiedout. not read. DECEMBER 2008

WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER; ILLUSTRATIONS © ROGER WARHAM 2008 WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER; ILLUSTRATIONS © ROGER WARHAM 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 2 – on raised platforms in public piazzas – onraisedplatforms inpublicpiazzas This form of Italian theatre became Commedia dell’ArteCommedia (squares). Plots generallycentred (1500s Italy) (1500s the plays –free for were all performed whose unionwasbeinghinderedwhose by an English theatre. Props andcostumes were basic and elder. Theseplays madeuseof aset of around thestruggleof young lovers, characteristics. This type of play also also play of type This characteristics. similar charactersthat allhad different popular inthe16th and17th centuries. found way its into both French and

The majority of theaudienceThe majority would have stood in Theatre duringthereign of Elizabeth Ihas 15 –1603) (1558 Elizabethan theatre Elizabethan the ‘pit’ infront richer of while audience the stage, Thamesthe River isaprimeexample. inLondon, plays weretimes, inspecial staged wooden Shakespeare, arguablythemostinfl members sat onseatsmembers around theedge. Theatre, of TheGlobe playhouses. onthebanks famous dramatist of Elizabethan alltime.During largely becomelargely linked onename–William with www.scholastic.co.uk/junioredplus uential and uential Japanese accompany instruments Japanese kabuki theatreJapanese kabuki isfamous (1600s –today Japan) –today (1600s Kabuki theatre Kabuki the audience. that rotates andafootbridge into Featuresthe action. of thekabuki today. Performances usually centre Speech isinmonotone and on historical events ormorality. stage include trapdoors, a section asection includestage trapdoors, It originally used female performers It originally usedfemale performers male actors continuemale actors thistradition in1629 kabuki performing and but women were banned from playing both maleandfemale roles, make-up, of music. anduniquestyle for elaborate its costumes and DECEMBER 2008

WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER; ILLUSTRATIONS © ROGER WARHAM 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 3 Audiences were madeupof theEnglishCivil War,After 16 –1714) (1660 Restoration theatre theatre Restoration Under thereign of King theatres were reopened Charles somewomen II, were comedies were popular. middle classes and servants. middle classes andservants. However,performances. bannedpuritans allstage rich people,aswell asthe permitted onstage. in 1660 andbold witty

America during thelateAmerica 19th Vaudeville, was popular in American VaudevilleAmerican (1800s–1900s) was usually inexpensive and Light-hearted variety entertainment, known as known entertainment, comedy, magic, singing, could involve dance, music, and early 20th centuries. It animal acts. sketches, acrobatics or www.scholastic.co.uk/junioredplus Victorian theatre Victorian The industrial revolution had an Vaudeville (see left), melodramas (1837–1901) the middleclasses. Pantomime, Social plays –knownas‘cup and and light operaswere popular. Thetheatreaudio spectacles. lighting andtheuseofelectric saucer dramas’ – alsobecame popular. became apopular pastime for to createmachinery visual and impact ontheatreimpact intheform of Theatre today ranges theatre (21st century) Modern Fringe Festival. Drama End to local‘fringe’ New York’s Broadway comment andeducate. amuse, shock, amateur dramatics, and inLondon’s West such asTheEdinburgh productions and productions musicals andplays on from bigbudget is usedto enlighten, DECEMBER 2008