the British School c19th century
Commercial dramatic public performances had been taking place in London for years before Shakespeare arrived in 1592 with performances at court inns and royal palaces considered a great honour for actors. As theatres were indoor spaces, usually on the first floor of buildings, little archaeological evidence survives. Contemporary accounts tell us that indoor theatres of the time were mostly based in modern day West London. Lit by candlelight, performances would need an interval in order to trim and replace the candles!
Copper Pins from the Rose Theatre
‘Playhowsse’ was the most commonly used word at the time for outdoor theatres and held up to 3,000 people; much larger than the indoor theatres. The buildings were polygonal wooden structures with three tiers of galleries and an open yard into with a raised stage. ‘Groundlings’ stood in the yard, a seated audience in the galleries and higher priced boxes known as lords’ or gentlemen’s’ rooms. The central yard had no protection from the weather and in early playhouses even the stage was open to the elements.
Glass beads form the Rose Theatre
Most of London’s former playhouses have been replaced by office blocks, houses or open spaces, some with plaques to commemorate what once stood there. However, 8 of the 13 playhouses in London and 2 former bear pits have now been excavated by MOLA. Excavations at the Rose Theatre in 1989 produced an enormous amount of ‘dress accessories’ including hundreds of glass beads found under the stage area which would originally have been sewn onto the actor’s costumes. The low quality of the glass suggests they were made in England and not imported. Large quantities of copper pins and fragments of copper wire in various sizes were also discovered – once used to hold together actor’s costumes and audience members’ dresses and ruffs. Higher status clothing at the time had threads of gold or silver embroidered into the fabric and it’s thought that the lengths of copper wire were a theatrical equivalent used in stage costumes to create the same effect but far cheaper than gold.
Dog Skull found at the Hope
With bear baiting being a popular form of entertainment in Shakespeare’s day, MOLA excavations a few years ago revealed two ponds and large quantities of animal bones at the site of ‘The Hope’, once a playhouse and arena. A number of large Mastiff type dog skulls were found as well as a bear’s femur. King James I was an avid supporter of bull and bear baiting as entertainment and many bears of the time became celebrities, known to all Londoners, with one particular bear, called Sackerson, even mentioned in Shakespeare’s play ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’.
Comment by ArgusPrints.com
The only surviving portrait of William Shakespeare painted from life is shown here in this our blog's Fine Art section. Navigate to our Fine Art section or click here: William Shakespeare Portrait Cobbe.
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