THEATRES, ACTORS AND ACTING IN SHAKESPEARE'S TIME 

The Globe Theatre in 1610

SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYHOUSES

James Burbage built one of the first ever playhouses just outside of the city of London. This playhouse was a multi storied theatre with three sides in the round. Seating was available at different price levels for those of different class or even nobility. The most affordable being that of the groundlings, standing right up close to the yard, and the most expensive being seated in the gods. The most elusive seats however was the royal box. 

Shakespeare's theatre company, The Lord Chamberlains men, performed at Burbages playhouse before Burbage lost their lease of the theatre. Shortly after a new theatre was born, much larger and more grandiose. This was to be known as The Globe Theatre. This would house much more than the original playhouse Burbage has created. For this construction to go ahead, Shakespeared and the Lord Chamberlain Men shared the lease with Burbage. Fourteen years after this theatre was created, during the production of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, a canon was fired during the show which set ablaze the roof of the theatre, burning in to the ground. However, shortly after the Globe was rebuilt in the same spot. The Globe Theatre has become the most famous theatre ever created and is still visited to this very day.

ACTORS IN SHAKESPEARE

During Shakespeare's plays, it was strictly all male. Men only had the privilege to perform whereas ladies were not allowed. This meant that all the female characters were to be played by a man in woman's clothing. Also, actors in Shakespeare's time were required to have other notable skills such as music, dance and be able to confidently fence. Actors would don larger than life costumes to accentuate the over the top performing style, some of the costumes were the clothes in which the nobles didn't want. These costumes would often take a parody of notable figures in history. However, that being said, many of the leading roles would wear very glamorous and modern dress.

In terms of performance, actors would often over project as that was seen as the done thing. Their physicality would be very rigid and upright, like nobility; not much of a performance per say. The only actors that would truly physicalise their movements were the comedic roles. This is vastly different to todays actors as we are taught how important it is to physicalise your character and to feel natural with our voices.

Actors today are treated as social icons. They are glamorised by the people and loved by the masses, some actors are household names just as the like of the queen is. This couldn't be further off than in Elizabethan England. During this time, actors were scene as the lowest of the low and regarded as gypsy travellers and they were touring companies to perform in different cities. Most of the general populous believed that the plague was spread by actors travelling across the country. 

Plays during this time were very. very minimalist. There was to be no scenery or decoration. Theatre companies had an exceptionally low budget unless they were supported financially by royalty, which almost certainly never happened.