Use this interactive guide to explore some of these eras with your students. Georgian era Regency era (1714-1780) (1780-1837) Jacobean era (1603-1642) Restoration era (1660-1714) Victorian era (1837-1901) Elizabethan era (1550-1603) Telling the story of the movers and shakers, the buildings, the playwrights, Modern era the plays and the audiences that make Edwardian era (1918-1955) (1901-1918) British theatre what it is today. Order your copy of The Time-Traveller’s Guide to British Theatre at: www.bloomsbury.com Elizabethan era (1550-1603) Heigh ho! Welcome to the reign of our gracious lady Queen Elizabeth I, a time when the first outdoor theatres are built in London and when William Shakespeare writes his plays. Let’s take a closer look. 1559 1576 1593 1601 Elizabeth The Theatre opens Christopher Hamlet premieres Tudor crowned The first public theatre Marlowe killed Hamlet, the young prince of Born 1533, Elizabeth is the since Roman times opens in Before Shakespeare comes ‘Kit’ Denmark, appears for the first second daughter of Henry Shoreditch, among open fields Marlowe. Young, handsome, time on the stage of the Globe VIII. She reigns for a record outside the City of London Cambridge-educated, he’s the theatre, which opened in 1599. 45 years, dying in 1603. She walls. In the middle of nowhere, most talented and notorious It is William Shakespeare’s is a popular monarch, with it’s a successful open-air playwright of the 1580s. His most famous play, a revenge nicknames such as Good wooden venue run by James reputation is summed up drama, and he is a share-holder Queen Bess, Gloriana and Burbage, an actor-manager in three words: atheist, gay and actor at this venue. In this the Virgin Queen (she never favoured by the Queen. and a spy. But he writes like theatre, with the audience marries). Her public image is Although the authorities are a dream. True to form, his crammed in, some seated, some of a mighty woman, her nervous about mass gatherings biggest hit is Doctor Faustus standing, Shakespeare’s words elaborate dress resplendent of ordinary people, who might (1592), a play about sorcery have a distinctive rhythm that with jewels and fancy ruffs. riot because they’re hungry, the and witchcraft. He is killed in a carry well in the space — a bit During her reign, she sets Theatre is free of regulations: pub brawl in Deptford, stabbed like rap. The wooden Globe up the Protestant Church the London mayor can’t censor through the eye, in mysterious burns down in 1613, when a of England and defeats the the plays. Its open-air shows circumstances: has he been prop canon goes off and starts invasion of the country by mean you can get rained on, murdered by order of powerful a blaze. Three years later, the Catholic Spanish Armada. and, poo, the smells of the enemies who disapprove of his Shakespeare dies. It’s the She loves spectacle, lavish countryside are pongy. The blasphemous lifestyle? end of an era. name comes from the Latin entertainments and is the top Read more from the book: Read more from the book: word theatrum, which means ‘a patron of theatre. pages 18-21 pages 25-36 place where you see things’. Read more from the book: pages 4-5 Read more from the book: pages 10-13 Jacobean era (1603-1642) Hail! Welcome to the reign of King James I of England a time when candle-lit intimate indoor venues join the outdoor theatres — and a golden age of playwriting. Some 20,000 Londoners visit a theatre every week despite the constant threat of the plague. Come with me. 1603 1606 1608 1642 James becomes king Ben Jonson’s Blackfriars Theatres close down When Queen Elizabeth dies Volpone opens theatre opens During the English Civil War, a at the age of 69, she has no One of the great playwrights The winter of 1608 is so cold bloody conflict which lasts from children so the crown passes of his time, Ben Jonson is a that the Thames freezes over, 1642 to 1651 and results in king to 36-year-old James VI, king self-taught scholar with the with ice thick enough for Charles I, son of James I, being of Scotland and the son of biggest and most quarrelsome lively fairs to be held on it, so executed in 1649, the Puritan Elizabeth’s cousin and deadly ego in the business. His biggest outdoor theatres are a no no. zealots who fight against the rival Mary Queen of Scots. He hit is Volpone, which opens at Richard Burbage, an actor who corrupt royals gain control of becomes the first king James the Globe theatre. Although plays the lead in many dramas the city of London. Because of England, lending his name it’s set in Venice, the real target by Shakespeare, has ambitions they disapprove of frivolous to the age (Jacobean comes of its barbs is the merchant to also be a great manager. entertainments, especially from Jacobus, which is Latin class of London, who he attacks His answer to cold weather is theatre, they pass a law to for James). He unites the for being greedy and lustful. to create an indoor theatre. close down venues all over the two kingdoms of England and The play is full of rogues with The result is the Blackfriars, a country. The theatres go dark Scotland. He’s a great patron of Italian animal names: Volpone large room lit with dozens of for a record 18 years. the arts. (fox), Mosca (house fly), Voltore tallow candles (made of animal Read more from the book: Read more from the book: (vulture) and Corvino (crow) — fat) that give the place an pages 57, 62 pages 39-40 these give you a good idea of intimate and magical feel. their characters. Read more from the book: Read more from the book: pages 49-54 pages 41-45 Restoration era (1660-1714) Good morrow gentlefolk! Hurray, we have got rid of the religious bigots and now women are allowed to act for the first time. I myself was one of them, and so I can guide you through the theatre of the age of Charles II. Follow me! 1660 1666 1677 1700 Monarchy restored Great Fire Aphra Behn’s William Congreve’s Following the death of Oliver of London The Rover opens The Way of the Cromwell, a puritan republican On Sunday 2 September a fire Aphra Behn is the first female World opens who ruled after the execution starts in a Pudding Lane bakery playwright and the first British William Congreve’s The Way of of king Charles I, the monarchy and soon spreads across the woman to earn her living from the World is the best rom-com is restored and Charles II City of London. Because the writing. Born in Kent, brought of the Restoration era. It tells returns from exile to claim his houses are made of wood and up in Surinam, South America, the story of the love affair crown. Charles is the people’s there is no fire brigade, the she returns to Europe and works between Mirabell, a fashionable king, a sharp dresser, young, mighty conflagration rages for as a spy in the Netherlands for young man, and Millimant, a fun-loving (his byname is The 4 days and destroys 13,200 Charles II. Back in London, she young lady. Because arranged Merry Monarch!) and keen houses and 87 churches, is thrown in prison for debt, marriages are the norm for on the arts, and even keener including St Paul’s cathedral. which motivates her to take up rich folk, the couple have on actresses! Although he The City is gutted, but London’s her pen. Her biggest stage hit is to convince her aunt, Lady is married, he has several main indoor venue, the Theatre The Rover, about the amorous Wishfort, who has her own mistresses. The most famous Royal Drury Lane, built in 1663, adventures of a group of ideas about a good match is Nell Gwyn, who begins miraculously survives because royalists — she is concerned with for her niece. her career selling oranges it is just outside the the role of women in society, but Read more from the book: in theatres, then captivates burnt-out area. writes in the bawdy Restoration pages 95-98 audiences on stage. Read more from the book: style. And her female characters Read more from the book: pages 77-80 get all the best lines. pages 71-73 Read more from the book: pages 86-88 Georgian era (1714-1780) Salutations! A proper lord am I, a real toff with a country pile and a townhouse, and it’s my pleasure to show you around Georgian England, a time when for more than 100 years, 4 kings called George ruled the land. 1714 1728 1769 1773 George I John Gay’s David Garrick Oliver Goldsmith’s becomes king The Beggar’s Opera popularizes She Stoops To The first George doesn’t speak opens Shakespeare Conquer opens English since he comes from John Gay’s ballad opera is sung David Garrick, the mega-star Writer Oliver Goldsmith is Hanover in Germany: he is in English, and goes viral among actor of the century, not only a great talker, despite his offered the throne because new audiences. Inspired by the plays Shakesperean parts on stammer, but uneasy with he is the closest Protestant real-life story of master criminal stage, but also rewrites the women, and a debt-ridden relation of the late Queen Jack Sheppard, it is set in bard.