TUDOR THEATRE (Gillian Clements)
What was a Tudor theatre?
Towards the end of the 16th
century, when the Tudor
Queen Elizabeth I was on
the throne, some wonderful
new theatres were built in
London. Hundreds of people,
from all classes of London
society, rushed to see the
exciting new plays.
There were already many
types of entertainment in
Tudor times. People could
see bear-baiting, religious
mystery
plays,
impressive
royal processions and awful bloody executions.
At this time people were interested in the classical culture of
ancient Greece and Rome – so this period later became known
as the Renaissance (re-birth). The new plays performed in
these theatres were part of the Renaissance.
Find out: The development of the theatre. Write brief information,
with diagrams, about the following...... Greek theatre (5 th century
BC); Roman theatre(1stcentury BC); Roman amphitheatre (c. 80 BC);
English mystery plays (13th century); English inn yard theatre (16th
century); Tudor theatre 1570s.
All kinds of people visited London’s new theatres, from the
very poor to the very rich. When a flag was flown over the
theatre to announce the latest play, crowds of people crossed
the Thames to enjoy the show. Just one penny bought the
cheapest ticket and nearly everybody could afford that!
For a long time people in cities like Coventry, Chester and
York had been able to see religious mystery plays which were
stories from the Bible. These plays were put on by local craft
guilds (unions) and were performed on temporary stages.
However, it was businessmen who built the new speciallymade Tudor theatres – and as London was the principal
centre for business and trade, it became the home of the new
style theatres.
Most of these theatres
were built between the
late 1500s and the
early 1600s, during
the reigns of Queen
Elizabeth I and King
James I (so we are
talking here about
Elizabethan
theatre
and Jacobean theatre.
Find out: The picture of
Elizabeth
celebrates
a
famous incident in her reign.
What was it and when did it
happen?
Queen Elizabeth I
Who were the Tudors?
The Tudors were the royal family
who ruled England and Wales
from 1485 to 1603. During this
time, many changes took place
and the country became richer
than ever before.
Find out: Why did Henry VIII break with the
Catholic Church and form his own church.
What is this church called today, who is the
Head of it and who is the religious head?
Merchants and explorers: England was a rich trading country
in Tudor times. Merchants sold many English goods abroad,
especially wool. Explorers discovered new lands. Francis Drake
claimed land in America, as he sailed round the world. The
Spanish considered the English seamen to be pirates, who
attacked their ships and colonies.
Henry VIII
Nobles and Clergy: The nobles were important families who
owned most of the land. They spent time at the Court with the
royal family and dressed in rich clothes to show off their
wealth. The clergy – bishops and
vicars – also had a lot of power. In
Tudor times people could read
and listen to the Bible in English –
this was extremely important for
the development of the English
church and English society as a
whole.
Queen Elizabeth was a very well –
educated lady. In Tudor times
most women did not have the
privilege
of
an
education.
Elizabeth loved the arts and she
wrote her own poems, sonnets and
A Puritan Clergyman
prayers.
She
spoke
several
languages, including Latin.
Find out: Who was the only Catholic Tudor queen? Whom did she marry? What
happened to religion during her reign?
Shopkeepers and craftsmen:
Shopkeepers and craftsmen made
a lot of money in England’s
growing towns and cities. The
craftsmen were organised in
powerful guilds
Yeoman farmers: They owned
small plots of land; their main
crops were wheat, barley and rye.
They also raised animals such as
sheep, cows, goats and pigs.
Labourers and beggars: They were at
the bottom
of society. When yeoman
farmers closed fields to graze their
sheep, they threw labourers off the land.
Thousands of them were forced to roam
the country, looking for work. Many
had to beg in the towns.
Find out: Who was Sir Francis Drake?
Who built the theatres?
Theatres could make big profits, but first they
had to be built and this required a lot of
money. James Burbage and his son Richard,
with their rival Philip Henslowe, were the
leading theatre men in London. In 1613 the
second Globe theatre cost £1,400, which was
an enormous amount of money. Burbage
built the first theatre in London in 1576 and
Richard Burbage
its name was “The Theatre”!
These new theatres provided a settled base for groups of writers
(like Shakespeare) and actors. Now the actors (they were all men)
had a place to rehearse. Actors had a bad reputation, so many of
them formed “Companies” with the sponsorship of powerful nobles –
for example: the Lord Admiral’s Men. Burbage’s company at the
Globe became known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
Popular plays attracted crowds of 2-3,000 and so theatres like the
Rose (built in 1587) and the Globe (built in 1599) made a lot of
money.
Find out: In which part of London was the Globe built? Why was it built there? What
happened to the first Globe theatre in 1613? What motto does the name of the Globe
refer to (in English and Latin)?
Which craftsmen built the Tudor theatres?
Carpenters: They built the theatres around a strong
timber frame, usually made from oak. It was the same
technique used for houses.
The modern reconstruction of the Globe
Plasterers: They filled the gaps between the timberframing. The outside walls were quite plain; but inside
the plasterwork was really elaborate.
Find out: What is plaster?
Thatchers: They used reeds to roof Tudor houses and
theatres. It was a cheap material, but it could easily
catch fire.
Wood carvers: These craftsmen often worked in churches
and great houses. They now used their skills to decorate
the theatres’ stage area.
Painters: The best painters in England painted church
tombs and the ceilings of great houses and palaces. In
the theatres they painted starry heavens over the stage
and also the wooden pillars to make them look like
marble.
Who put on the plays?
Theatre companies were made up of senior
shareholders, actors and boy apprentices. The whole
company worked together to put on the plays, meeting
at the theatre every day to rehearse.
Who were the actors? The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
had some of England’s greatest actors. Richard
Burbage was their biggest star. Their rivals were the
Lord Admiral’s Men and their star was Edward
Alleyn. He played “Dr. Faustus” in Marlowe’s play
about a man who sells his soul to the devil. He was so
believable that people thought there was a real devil
on stage!
Women and girls did not perform in public theatres
in Tudor times. Female parts were played by the boy
apprentices.
Tudor plays often included fools or clowns – they were
great favourites with the audiences. One of the most
famous was Will Kemp:
Find out: Describe the interior of a Tudor theatre – draw and label a
picture of a theatre. What happened to the theatres in the 17th century
after the death of Charles I?
Who were the playwrights?
Shakespeare was a successful playwright and, with the help of his noble
patron, he became very rich. Other playwrights were not as fortunate or as
talented. They were paid very little for each play.
Christopher Marlowe
(1564-93)
He was the son of a
shoemaker from the
city of Canterbury. He
wrote many famous
plays like The Jew of
Malta, Dr. Faustus
and
Tamburlaine.
His death was as
dramatic as his plays
– he was stabbed in
the eye at an inn
“Hell hath no limits, nor is
circumscrib'd in one self place;
but where we are is hell,
And where hell is, there must
we ever be.”
Christopher Marlowe, Doctor
Faustus
William Shakespeare
(1564-1616)
He was the son of a
Stratford glover. As a
young
man
he
travelled to London,
joined a company of
actors
and
began
writing
plays
and
poems. He invested in
the Globe and the
profits
made
him
rich. He died in 1616
at the age of 52.
Fellow playwright Ben
Jonson said of him:
“He was not of an age, but for
all time! “
To the Memory of My Beloved
the Author, Mr. William
Shakespeare.
Ben Jonson
(1574-1637)
He was a friend and
rival of Shakespeare.
He was educated in
classical history and
became well known for
writing some special
entertainments
for
King James I. He also
wrote some powerful
comedies like Volpone
and The Alchemist.
Drink to me only with thine
eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The Forest. To Celia.