Elizabethan Theatre
The Elizabethan period was arguably one of the most artistically and culturally notable periods in modern-day English history. It showcased some of the most famous playwrights to date, including the likes of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. It characterised the style of modern-day writing as we know it today.
Playwrights
Ben Jonson
1572-1637
Jonson was another Elizabethan writer and poet who was one of the most famous at the time. He is considered to be a 'prolific dramatist' with heavy influences from the Greek classics. He is widely honoured and remembered for his satirical comedies which in his earlier years as a playwright caught the attention of Queen Elizabeth. He greatly popularised the genre 'comedy of humours'. He was a well educated and well cultured man of the English Renaissance, who had a tendency to flaunt his controversial ideals among other playwrights, writers and poets. His cultural influence was of 'unparalleled breadth' in the Jacobean and Caroline Eras. His works include the satirical plays, The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair.
The Bard
1564-1616
William Shakespeare is considered to be the most influential writer of all time. His works consist of 39 plays and some 154 sonnets. His writing style developed from heavily comedies in his earlier writing, including plays like Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, which later developed into tragedy. At this point he began to deliver some of his most infamous works, such as Othello, Hamlet and Macbeth. Then, later on in life his writing began to combine elements of both his earlier styles, creating tragicomedies, such as The Tempest and The Two Noble Kinsmen. Although he is most famous for his plays, Shakespeare both intentionally and unintentionally shaped the English language into what we know it as today, with many sayings and phrases being taken directly from his sonnets and plays.
Christopher Marlowe
1564-1593
Before his mysterious early death at age 29, Marlowe was considered to be London's most famous dramatist, succeeded by Shakespeare. It is popular belief that his works greatly influenced Shakespeare's writing and his style. Marlowe was also the first writer to notably use 'blank verse' in his writing. Blank verse broke away from traditional ways of writing, ultimately shaping the writing style of the age and for years to come. This influence was so large that an estimated three quarters of all English writing is in blank verse. Marlowe's works can be characterised by the brutal bloodshed and gore and 'anti-intellectualism'. Marlowe's works include the likes of The Jew of Malta and Tamburlaine.
Playhouses
The settings and stages upon which the writings of these playwrights was performed also characterised the era's theatre style, revolutionising modern-day stages. Open air theatres were a predominant characteristic.
Elizabethan playhouses were purpose-built or adapted venues created to meet the growing demand for theatrical entertainment in early seventeenth-century England. As drama developed into a professional and commercial art form, permanent theatres were established in and around London to host regular performances by acting companies. The first purpose-built playhouse, known as The Theatre, was constructed in 1576 by James Burbage and became the model for later venues such as the Curtain, the Rose, the Swan, and, most famously, the Globe. Most Elizabethan playhouses were open-air, often circular in shape, designed to hold large crowds. They were usually located outside the city walls, particularly in areas like Southwark, to avoid opposition from London authorities who associated theatres with disorder and disease. At the centre of the playhouse was the yard, an open area where the cheapest spectators, called groundlings, stood throughout the performance. Surrounding the yard were three levels of covered galleries that provided seating for wealthier audience members, reflecting the clear social hierarchy of Elizabethan society. The stage projected into the yard, creating a thrust stage that brought actors into close contact with the audience and encouraged direct address, interaction, and the use of asides and soliloquies. The stage was raised several feet above the ground and included features such as a trapdoor, often called "hell," which allowed for dramatic entrances and exits, particularly in scenes involving ghosts or supernatural beings, eg. Macbeth and Hamlet. Above the stage was a canopy known as the "heavens," supported by pillars and sometimes decorated with celestial imagery, which could be used for sound effects or to lower props and characters. Behind the stage stood the tiring house, a multi-storey structure used for costume changes, entrances, and storage, with an upper level that could serve as a balcony, famously used in Romeo and Juliet. Scenery was minimal in Elizabethan theatre, placing emphasis on poetic language, detailed costumes, and the audience's imagination to establish setting and mood. Performances were held in the afternoon to make use of natural daylight, and special effects were created through music, sound, and simple stage machinery rather than elaborate visuals. In addition to public playhouses, indoor theatres such as the Blackfriars Theatre existed, catering to smaller, wealthier audiences in enclosed, candlelit spaces that encouraged a more intimate style of performance. Together, these playhouses shaped the conventions of Elizabethan theatre and strongly influenced the way plays were written and staged during the period.
Further Research
Performances usually took place in the afternoon, around 14:00, playhouses relied on natural daylight rather than artificial lighting.
Audiences were noisy and interactive, frequently shouting, cheering, booing, or throwing food if they disliked a performance.
The cheapest spectators, known as groundlings, paid one penny to stand in the yard close to the stage.
There were very few props or sets, so playwrights relied heavily on language to describe time, place, and action.
Costumes were usually modern and highly decorative rather than historically accurate, and they were often the most expensive part of a theatre company's assets, like in Restorative Theatre, trends were often sparked as a result of this.
Playhouses could be closed by authorities during outbreaks of plague to prevent large public gatherings.
Special effects were created using simple techniques, such as thunder made by rolling cannonballs or flashing lights produced with powder, these often caused many injuries, hence the authorities' dislike to theatres.
Famous playwrights like William Shakespeare were also actors and shareholders in their theatre companies, earning money from both writing and performance.