A Brief History of Theatre, 2016, https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/a-brief-history-of-theatre

• Theatre is telling stories through a show

  • It involves an audience and a cast of actors to perform to that audience

• First recorded use of theatre, in Europe, is from ancient Greece around 600 B.C.

  • However, people have been performing for far longer and religious rituals as well as dance can be dated back to 8500 B.C.

  • Ancient Greeks founded theatre as we know it as a religious festival to honour the god Dionysus (who was the god of wine and fertility)

    • They developed a more structured form of drama

  • The masks used to show emotion and character in ancient Greek plays are still used today as a symbol of theatre

    • Masks were introduced by Thespis and actors today are sometimes referred to as thespians

  • Greek plays were often tragedies, telling of myths

• Romans, inspired by these plays, wrote their own in Latin

  • Romans preferred comedies

  • Roman plays needed to be grand and bold to compete with other public entertainment, such as what went on in the colosseum, so they built vast public theatres

• The rise of Christianity initially threatened theatre, as they shut down venues, but after a time it returned with religious plays

• Theatre expanded and influenced the world as it became commonplace again

• 16th century England gave rise to a new kind of theatre with Shakespeare, and the birth of Globe Theatre, at the forefront

  • This is what has shaped most modern theatre

 

The Story of Theatre, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-theatre

• Early English theatre formed from churches in the 10th and 11th centuries

  • It became more popular in the mid-14th century when religious leaders encouraged certain plays

    • Mystery cycles, which were stories from the bible

    • Miracle plays, which were stories of the lives of saints

    • These were produced to educate the masses on Christianity and the bible

  • These were performed out of pageant wagons which processed through the streets

• Secular drama in England

  • Following the 16th century reformation – which opposed the authority of the Roman Catholic Church – religious drama was suppressed

    • Theatre companies were issued licenses to perform in public

  • “The Theatre” was the first proper theatre venue; it was constructed in 1576 in Finsbury Fields, London

    • New venues began popping up after

    • Most theatres were circular

    • Most famous acting companies, of the time, were the Admiral’s Men and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men

      • Bitter rivals