In England, prior to 1576 or the
reign of queen Elizabeth I there were no established theatres in the country.
Actors of that time wandered around looking for spectators. They usually
performed in the courtyards of Royal Palaces or anywhere that could accommodate
large audiences. Along with the drawback of no permanent acting house or
theatre, actors had to deal with the social stigma accompanied with their trade;
they were usually regarded as vagabonds.
In 1576, actors could finally enjoy
performing in a permanent theatre when James Burbage, an actor who was once a
carpenter built England’s first theatre located in Shoreditch. It was given an
effortless name, “The Theatre”. The main area of the theatre was opened to the
sky with a large yard for spectators who couldn’t afford seats to stand. The
cheapest seats in the theatre were normally 2 pence. The theatre was later closed
in 1599; however James Burbage’s son stripped it down and hauled it across town
to Bankside where it took 6 months to reconstruct. It was called The Globe. It
was not known for sure if the theatre was actually shaped like a globe but from
Shakespeare’s description in one of his play’s leads historians to believe
this.
Unfortunately, in 1613 during a
performance of Henry III, a canon that was fired caught fire to the thatched
roof and the theatre burnt down. The Globe was rebuilt; however it was closed
permanently in 1644 when all plays were banned by Parliament. It was only in
the 20th century was a new theatre built and opened for acting.
During that era actors did not enjoy
the luxury afforded by modern-day actors today. The theatres did not have a set
or lighting. Therefore, performances had to be held in daylight. They also
utilized little props and costumes and music and songs were used to set the
scene. It was also difficult for actors to capture the audience because they
were normally loud and frequently ate and drank while watching the play.
Other theatres included: The Curtain
and The Swan which were public theatres and The Cockpit and Blackfriars which
were private.
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