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Theatres and Their Opponents - Coggle Diagram
Theatres and Their Opponents
Famous Theatres
The Theatre (1576 - first one)
The Curtain (1577)
The Rose (1587 - could hold 2000 people)
The Swan (1595)
The Globe (1599)
The Design of Theatres
Theatres had an uncovered circular pit surrounded with circular galleries.
They were similar to bear-baiting pits so theatres that were not successful could be converted into them
There was no artificial lighting so plays were always held in the afternoon
A flag signalled a performance and a trumpeter signalled the start of the play
Women were not allowed to perform so boys played female roles
Theatres were popular with cheap entrance fees making them affordable for all
Social order was kept in the theatre with the cheapest tickets being for the 'pit' or the 'yard'. Here, the audience (known as groundlings) would stand in noisy and exposed conditions
It was more expensive to watch from the galleries. You could pay a penny for a cushion
The richest would watch from the 'Lords' rooms'
What Sort of Plays Did Elizabethans Watch
Successful playwrights included Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe and of course William Shakespeare
The plays focused on themes of exploration, love, magic, violence and patriotism
Trapdoors in the stage allowed dramatic entrances and exits