Theatres, Actors And Acting In Shakespeare's Time

When Shakespeare plays first began being performed, there was less of a variety of venues to perform in. Today, modern entertainment can be performed outdoors, in theatres, studios and arenas - this is thanks to the advancement of technology. In Elizabethan times, the main two venues would have been playhouses and indoor theatres.

Playhouses:

With the rise of popularity among going to the theatre, business men were inclined to build playhouses and rent them to touring theatre companies. People often refer to outdoor playhouses as 'amphitheaters', but there were also indoor playhouses. 'The Red Lion' was the first playhouse to be built, by John Brayne in 1567. Following this, many other playhouses were built - the majority of them by the Southbank in London, a place that many citizens already attended for entertainment.

Outdoor playhouses tended to have an open roof, a raised stage with a roof over it and many layers of seating for audience members to watch from. This was a traditional style, like Shakespeare's Globe that we often visit today. These shows were to a large scale and were good for plays with big battle scenes as there was a lot of space to use. Shows are wonderful during summertime, but some people think that the experience can be ruined with bad weather. You didn't have to have a lot of money to attend these shows as there were yard standing tickets, which were cheaper than buying seated tickets.

Indoor playhouses are usually constructed to a smaller scale, more expensive as there are less tickets available and lit by candles and natural light from windows. The Sam Wanamaker playhouse is often used for performances and is a part of Shakespeare's Globe. Audience members who watched theatre indoors tended to be richer and more upper class. There was more expensive seating available for them, close to the actors. This type of theatre was used by 'boy companies', made up of teenagers and young adults who played once a week. Shows performed at indoor playhouses were a lot more intimate, with special effects and a variety of small props that wouldn't necessarily get noticed outdoors. Performances could be done all year round as this type of theatre wasn't weather dependant.

Performances:

There was generally very little scenery, if any, for performances during this time. Actors had to rely on their talent - a lot of the time, they were required to be able to sing, dance, act, fence or play instruments. Some of the work would have been quite physically tiring. There are many entrances and exits in these playhouses, which often help audience members to feel as though they are a part of the performances. Actors could also enter and exit from trapdoors or 'the heavens' above, to make transitions more interesting. The costumes that actors wore were quite modern to the time, making them look nice rather than giving an accurate representation of the character. For a large time, all of the casts were made up of males having to play different characters, including the female roles.

References:

www.ShakespearesGlobe.com/Discovery-Space/Fact-Sheets

www.ShakespearesGlobe.com/Uploads/Files/2014/01/Indoor_Theatres.pdf

ww.Folger.edu/Shakespeares-Theater