Elizabethan Music
Behind me is Shakespeare's theatre, rebuilt recently but it was originally constructed
in the seventeenth century. And its name is the Globe, which comes from the expression,
everyone in the world is an actor. The conditions at the time when this would have been built
were very different from the way actors work now. It was all done during the day because
they didn't have enough money to afford candles to put on the plays at night. So there would
have been far more interaction between the public and the actors. And in fact, the groundlings,
which were the cheapest seats just under the open cover. They would shout at the actors
and throw things at them if they didn't like the play.
At the time, as well, none of the actors were women because they weren't allowed to be in
plays. And also the church was very critical of theatre. It called it the nest of the devil
and it was usually just outside the city walls because it wasn't really allowed in those
days. It was seen as something very popular and affordable because just as I said before,
the cheapest seats could be afforded by everyone.
Elizabethan Music
So this is where the groundlings stand and to come here its only five pounds to see a
play and they say it's one of the best places even though if it rains, umbrellas aren't
allowed so you're going to get wet. But they say it would have been the best place as well
because the audience participated as well so you are right next to the actor's foot.
You could see up his nose and if he spat down at you, as I said, there's no umbrellas allowed.
So it would have been a big problem. But there's great participation because the audience can
see you, the actors, everybody's involved in the play which makes kind of a difference
from the typical West End play where everybody's in the dark. Here, you felt like you were
really part of it. signs of the zodiac known as the heavens,
there's a trap door in heaven as well, which is open at the moment, and you come down from
heaven....it does look quite dangerous... The Globe Theatre puts on plays mainly by
Shakespeare and they're pretty authentic even down to the finest detals like the original
seventeenth century underwear. So its probably not that comfortable. And nowadays we go and
see a play but back then the most important thing was the acoustics. It was more important
that you heard the play and so wherever you sat, the more expensive seats were the ones
that had the best sound. Elizabethan Music
The stage represents three different elements, the top with the Zodiac signs, its painted
blue, represents heaven or the sky.There's even a trap door you can come down from. And
the stage itself represents the earth and there's a trapdoor to go underneath which
represents hell. Elizabethan Music
This round shape kind of increases the sense of participation. The building itself though
was hard to get permission for because remember in the seventeenth century it had burned down
twice. So to make this thatched kind of roof after
the Great Fire of London was pretty tough to do. It took them eight years to get permission
but they finally managed to go ahead with it.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Not if its a summer's day in London.
Elizabethan Music