8-2Actors

Who were theatre-goes in Elizabethan England? What was an audience like in Elizabethan England? //Answer Prepared By: Elka D.//  Much like today, the theatre in Elizabethan times attracted people from all classes including the Upper nobility and the Lower Class commoners. Everyone from Queen Elizabeth I to average lower class commoners enjoyed the Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories that were performed in the theatre. Unlike the Queen, many people would stand in the theatre pit, paying a mere penny for these seats. Price for the play was determined by the comfort of the seats-the more expensive seats would have cushions. Well to do people, or nobles, would have paid for better seats in the Lord’s Room, which were the balconies. They would pay more to sit here because they could hear everything, they could show off their expensive clothes, and it gave the Lower Class a nice view of the nobles. Due to the Sumptuary Laws, ordinary Elizabethans were not allowed to wear the latest fashions, so these lavish clothes could only be seen when royalty or nobility were within view. The Queen, however, would not attend the amphitheaters, instead the plays would usually be performed for her in indoor playhouses. Indoor playhouses such as “Salisbury Court Playhouse” suddenly made plays much more accessible and fashionable. Now, plays could be performed year-round and patrons would not have to worry about the unpredictable weather. The upper class and royalty enjoyed the playhouses because they would not have to worry any longer about their chic clothes getting ruined by an unexpected shower. Clearly, Elizabethan audiences consisted of people from all classes, but they all shared the common love of plays.

According to //The Usborne World of Shakespeare by Anna Claybourne and Rebecca Treays, //“audiences were not as well-behaved as they are today”. People would shout loud, rude remarks and would make fun of the actors on stage. Sometimes, theatre-goers would actually climb onto the stage and join the swordfights. They would also bring food with them to eat-and to throw at bad actors. It is also very safe to say that the audience was usually drunk, as was most of the city of London. Elizabethan audiences were certainly a far cry from what we would consider acceptable in our society today.

Depending upon the play, different flags were placed outside the theatre as a form of advertising. The colors of the flags depended upon the type of play that was to be performed. A black flag meant a tragedy, white flags meant a comedy, and a red flag meant a history. There were three types of theatres that plays would be performed in; Inn-Yards, Open Air Amphitheatres, and Indoor Playhouses. Inn-yards were the original venues where performances were held indoors or in the yard at private London Inns. Open Air Amphitheatres were generally used during the summer months and were comparable to a small football stadium, holding between 1500 and 3000 people. Finally, Indoor Playhouses were small and private, open to anyone who would pay, and were more expensive than other forms of theatres. Due to overcrowding, theatres were very popular with thieves and pickpockets. Theatres were very different in Elizabethan times especially since people actually sat outside to see performances! Works Cited: Alchin, L.K.. "Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Theater." //www.william-shakespeare.info//. November 16,2008. 11 Apr 2009 . Claybourne, Anna, and Rebecca Treays. //The Usborne World of Shakespeare//. London: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2001. Print.  Pressley, J.M.. "Elizabethan England." //www.bardweb.net //. February 18, 2009. Shakespeare Resource Center. 11 Apr 2009 .