ELIZABETHAN THEATRES

Medieval English drama was based on bible and religious stories. Its main aim was didactic and plays were performed almost everywhere: in the street, inside churches exc. During the Elizabethan age, more and more professional theatres were built. The first Elizabethan playhouse was constructed by Thomas Burbage and it was called “the Theatre”. It was an open air theatre. Soon was built “The curtain” (1577), “The rose” (1587) and “The swan” (1595). The theatres were built on the south bank of the river since Puritans considered plays immoral and therefore they had to be made outside their jurisdiction. In 1597 the “Lord Chamberlain’s men” decided to dismantle that theatre and rebuilt it across the Thames naming it “The Globe”. The southwark of London became the centre of "theatreland" . In 1613 “The Globe” burst into flames during a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII. It has been rebuilt in 1644. Later it was destroyed by puritans and rebuilt again in 1994.

The main season for performances was the winter because in the summer the risk of spreading the plague was higher. Performances were represented during the afternoon with no scenery or artificial lighting. No women were admitted in the companies of actors since acting was considered immoral. Shakespeare exploited this to create comical effect through sexual ambiguity since women’s roles were played by young boys.

Elizabethan playhouses were circular and without roof and curtains. The stage was very high and the open-air places were for people belonging to the lower social class. Poor people usually stayed in these areas paying one penny. These places were called groundlings or “stinkards” because they usually smell bad and there were no seats. The groundlings mediated between the stage and the galleries and they also took part both physically and verbally in productions. Around the walls of the theatre there were some galleries with lot of seats for nobles.

An important role was played by the clown who had the function to relax the audience after a dramatic action. Will Kempe was the greatest clown at the time.

Elizabethan theatres were violent and noisy places because people usually drank, smoked, ate and quarrelled.

The director was not considered as important as the main actor who had to know how to juggle, perform acrobatic exercises and dance. Richard Burbage was the best actor of time (he also performed many Shakespearean roles as Hamlet).