The world of the theatre
All the World’s a Stage
The Elizabethan Theatre The world of the theatre Period of Greatest Popularity The world of the theatre
Elizabeth I 1558 - 1603
• Under Henry VIII drama was still anchored to Medieval trends and features
• Under Elizabeth I we have the real flourishing of Elizabethan drama The world of the theatre
James I 1603 - 1625
• Made the theatre more widely accepted in English culture • Greatly contributed to Shakespeare’s success
• Shakespeare wrote plays suitable for the new king
• The most famous is Macbeth The world of the theatre Acting Companies
• Strolling actors: they moved from town to town
• Use of “pageants”
• Performed wherever they could find an audience
• Negative reputation because of the audience they attracted The world of the theatre
• In early Renaissance An Elizabethan Inn Moralities and Mysteries were performed there
• People gathered in front of the actors’ pageants The world of the theatre
• Strolling actors are fined and imprisoned as vagabonds
• Acting companies seek the sponsorship of noblemen and royalty to gain protection and social acceptance
• These patrons support the actors by giving them their name but no financial 1572 support • Plays start to be performed in playhouses or private theatres Vagabond Act The world of the theatre The First Permanent Theatres
The world of the theatre London’s permanent theatres
The building of permanent playhouses in London was a break with the past The world of the theatre London’s permanent theatres
Towards the end of the 16th century, several theatres were built.
• The Theatre (by James Burbage, 1576) • The Curtain (by James Burbage, 1577) • The Rose (by Philip Henslowe, 1587) The world of the theatre London’s permanent theatres
Towards the end of the 16th century, several theatres were built.
• The Swan (by Francis Langley, 1595) • The Curtain (by Cuthbert Burbage, 1599) • The Fortune (by Philip Henslowe, 1600) The world of the theatre The architecture of theatres
The playhouses:
• were round, octagonal or rectangular in shape • were 12 metres high
The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named “Shakespeare’s Globe”, opened in 1997. It is on London South Bankside. The world of the theatre The architecture of theatres
The playhouses:
• had a diameter of 25 metres
• had a rectangular stage
A reconstruction of the Globe Theatre. Folger Shakespeare Library. The world of the theatre
The Inside The world of the theatre Internal layout
The same basic structure consisted of:
• a stage partially covered by a thatched roof supported by two pillars and projected into a central area
Globe Theatre Stage, 1997 The world of the theatre Internal layout
The structure included
• three tiers of galleries around the stage with the actors’ dressing room at the back
The interior drawing of “The Swan” by Johannes de Witt, circa 1596. The Swan Theatre was built by Francis Langley about 1594, south of the Thames. The Swan was one of the largest and most distinguished of all the playhouses in London. The world of the theatre The Galleries The world of the theatre The Gentlemen’s Rooms
• Situated close to the stage
• Reserved to the most distinguished audience
• Allowed perfect view of the stage and perfect hearing of the actors’ words The world of the theatre The Heavens
• Name of the stage ceiling
• Depicted the planets and the signs of the zodiac
• Symbolically meant that celestial bodies influence our destinies
• A trap door in the middle allowed the lowering of gods or angels onto the stage
The world of the theatre The Audience
The “box-offices” offered a wide range of prices
• a penny (=1/12 of a London worker’s weekly salary) granted entrance to the pit (standing room around the stage)
• six pence granted access to seated places in the covered galleries. Only city merchants and the nobility could afford the price The world of the theatre The Audience • The spectators ate and drank during the performance
• They freely expressed their emotions with laughter or tears
• They had a relish for language and long speeches
Geoffrey Rush in Shakespeare in Love directed by John Madden, 1998 The world of the theatre The Audience
• They were eager for sensation and overwhelming emotion
• They loved metaphor and extremes
• They enjoyed thrills and horror
• They loved chronicles and history plays with heroic deeds (strong national feeling) The world of the theatre
Convention and Illusion The world of the theatre Convention and Illusion
• Productions employed very little scenery: the acting companies had to rely heavily on their audience’s imagination
• The public was forced to listen more closely to the actors’ dialogues to understand the action and meaning of the play
• Poetic dialogue included all the information needed to understand time, place and reason for the action, characters’ identities and physical appearance The world of the theatre The Actors
• Actors had to join a company of a prominent figure and bear his livery and arms (The Chamberlain’s Men of Elizabeth I and the King’s Men of James I)
• An actor’s shareholding depended on the sum he invested to buy props and costumes of which he was joint owner The world of the theatre The Actors
• They had to vary their repertoire
• They had no more than two weeks to prepare a new play
• They often found themselves playing several roles in the same performance
• They should have excellent memory The world of the theatre Female Roles
• Companies included 5-6 boys to play female roles until their voices broke
• They learnt singing, dancing, diction and feminine gestures and intonation from a very young age
• Contemporary audiences found them very convincing The world of the theatre The Clown and the Fool
The Clown The Fool
rough peasant whose language professional jester counterbalanced other dressed in motley, characters’ heroic or cap and bells romantic language The world of the theatre The Costumes
• Useful to identify a character as a member of a certain class
• Often very elaborate and colourful
• Supported the theme of DISGUISE as a common convention in Elizabethan drama
• Often discarded by the nobility, so lavish but often inappropriate for the play historical period
The world of the theatre Time of Execution The world of the theatre Time of Execution
• Shows took place in daylight: starting approximately at 2 o’ clock to end at dusk
• The lighting came from the sun, as the Elizabethans used no scenery and no lights
• A flag flying on top of the theatre informed people that the performance was in progress.