London Theatre through the Ages

Table of Contents

For as long as history records, people have been acting out stories for the amusement and education of others. London is a part of the world where this practice has taken several giant leaps forward. Travelling to the West End at the moment might be just as out of the question as travelling to Bexhill, but this is still a great opportunity to look at the history of theatre in Britain.

English theatre first emerged during the medieval period as a means for the church to provide a moral education. Stories from the bible were adapted to the stage, and performed for the enlightenment of peasants who couldn’t read the Latin text of the book itself. There weren’t any fixed theatres during this period, but mobile wagons that would serve as stages.

When the Reformation arrived in the 16th century, drama of this sort was no longer possible. Those wishing to put on a play had to seek the approval of the local nobility. By this time, most towns had an unofficial space in which most plays were staged – but it wasn’t until the late 16th century that a boom for theatre-houses took place. Unlike modern theatres, these were round and open-air, so that viewers could see the unfolding drama from every angle.

Shakespeare

The arrival of William Shakespeare profoundly altered the landscape of English theatre, and its effects are almost impossible to understate. He joined one of the capital’s foremost companies, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, and both wrote and acted in plays from 1594 onwards. His first play, The Comedy of Errors, arrived in that year. Much of his work came to be performed in the famous Globe theatre, on the south bank of the Thames – where today a modern replica sits.

Elaborate Staging

While there were certainly advantages to the Tudor-era circular staging, there were drawbacks, too – with the audience spread on every side of the performance, there were few places to hide, and little scope for props and backdrops. The proscenium arch was introduced to the front of stages to divide the actors from the audience, and to hide falling curtains, props, and changeable backdrops.

Women

For all of this time, women were denied a chance to perform onstage, with all of the female roles being taken by men. It might seem strange and absurd to imagine Juliet, Ophelia and Cleopatra being portrayed onstage by men, but it wasn’t until the 17th century that female actors and playwrights were first allowed in. While it’s difficult to say for sure who the first woman to appear on stage might have been, the credit usually goes to Margaret ‘Peg’ Hughes, during a performance of Othello in Vere Street in 1660.

Interruptions

The Covid-19 pandemic has put the brakes on London’s bustling theatre scene – but it isn’t the first time this has happened. The Puritans forced the closure of theatres for an agonising eighteen years – and the bubonic plague was forcing closures even during Shakespeare’s time. Gas explosions, world wars, pandemics – the theatres have seen them all and emerged on the other side.