Pre-English Civil War (1616-1642)

Overview

From Shakespeare's death in 1616 to the closing of the theatres in 1642 by the Puritan Parliament, the London actors continued to perform in the open-air theatres such as the Globe, but more attention was progressively given to the so-called private indoor theatres such as Blackfriars, which charged more and addressed more prosperous and sophisticated audiences. The tastes of the royal court also became more influential, favoring elaborate settings designed by Inigo Jones. Indoor theatres had better acoustics and their less open stages facilitated the use of such scenery. These changes encouraged a subtler, lighter style of production, as illustrated by the vein of Shakespeare's successor as dramatist to the King's Men, John Fletcher. However, the late Shakespeare of the romances such as The Tempest already showed similar tendencies, confirmed by the two dramatists' co-operation on tragicomedies such as The Two Noble Kinsmen. Nevertheless, Shakespeare's earlier plays continued to be performed by many of the same actors who worked with him, such as John Lowin, whom Shakespeare supposedly directed as Hamlet and Henry VIII in All Is True, according to Shakespeare's godson, Sir William Davenant. There was no clean break in the stage tradition at this point such as followed for almost two decades after theatres closed in 1642.

Images

"Don Juan de Austria" as mocked by Velázquez, when re-enacted by a Court Clown, 1635-1645

Slideshows

Productions from the 16th Century to The Present Day

Bibliography

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