English Court Theatre, 1558-1642

Hardback

Main Details

Title English Court Theatre, 1558-1642
Authors and Contributors      By (author) John H. Astington
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:308
Dimensions(mm): Height 236,Width 160
Category/GenreDrama
Dance
ISBN/Barcode 9780521640657
ClassificationsDewey:792.8094209031
Audience
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 1 Maps; 21 Halftones, unspecified

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 28 June 1999
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Several famous playwrights of the Elizabethan and Stuart periods, including Shakespeare, wrote for open-air public theatres and also for the private, indoor theatres at the palaces at which the Court resided. This book is the first full account of such court theatre, and examines the theatrical entertainments for Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I. By contrast with the now vanished playhouses of the time, four of the royal chambers used as theatres survive, and the author attempts to draw as full a picture as he can of such places, the physical and aesthetic conditions under which actors worked in them, and the composition and conduct of court audiences. The book includes plans and illustrations of the theatres and an appendix which lists all known court performances of plays and masques between 1558 and 1652.

Reviews

'Certainly there are enough significant facts here to enrich our dream of the past.' Times Literary Supplement