NationMaster - Encyclopedia: English drama

'Bold text'Bold text'Bold text'Bold textDrama was introduced to England from Europe by the Romans and auditoriums were constructed across the country for this purpose. By the medieval period, the mummers' plays had developed, a form of early street theatre associated with the Morris dance, concentrating on themes such as Saint George and the Dragon and Robin Hood. These were folk tales re-telling old stories, and the actors travelled from town to town performing these for their audiences in return for money and hospitality. The medieval mystery plays and morality plays, which dealt with Christian themes, were performed at religious festivals. World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine... An auditorium is the area within a theatre, concert hall or other performance space where the audience is located in order to hear and watch the performance. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... There are two major branches to the tradition of the Mummers Play: Firstly the folk tradition of troupes of mummers performing street theatre and secondly the more formal Christian Mystery Plays. ... A Morris dance is a form of folk dance. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... Robin Hood is the archetypal English folk hero, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, an outlaw who, in modern versions of the legend, stole from the rich to give to the poor. ... Folklore is the ethnographic concept of the tales, legends, or superstitions current among a particular ethnic population, a part of the oral history of a particular culture. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Mystery plays or miracle plays are one of the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. ... Morality plays are a type of theatrical allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of various moral attributes who try to prompt him to choose a Godly life over one of evil. ...

The period known as the English Renaissance, approximately 1500—1660, saw a flowering of the drama and all the arts. The most famous example of the mystery play, Everyman, and the two candidates for the earliest comedy in English Nicholas Udall's Ralph Roister Doister and the anonymous Gammer Gurton's Needle, all belong to the 16th century. Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... The Chandos portrait, popularly believed to depict William Shakespeare (in a 20th century reproduction) The Chandos portrait is one of the most famous portraits believed to depict William Shakespeare (1564â€“1616). ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance This article is about the cultural movement known as the English Renaissance. ... 1500 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... Everyman is a 16th century English morality play. ... Nicholas Udall (1504 - December 23, 1556), was an English playwright and schoolmaster, the author of Ralph Roister Doister, regarded by many as the first comedy written in the English language. ... Ralph Roister Doister is a comedy by Nicholas Udall, generally regarded as the first to be written in the English language. ... Gammer Gurtons Needle is one of the earliest comedies written in the English language. ...

During the reign of Elizabeth I in the late 16th and early 17th century, a London-centred culture that was both courtly and popular produced great poetry and drama. Perhaps the most famous playwright in the world, William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon, wrote plays that are still performed in theatres across the world to this day. He was himself an actor and deeply involved in the running of the theatre company that performed his plays. Other important playwrights of this period include Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and John Webster. Various types of plays were popular. Ben Jonson, for example, was often engaged to write courtly masques, ornate plays where the actors wore masks. The three types that seem most often studied today are the histories, the comedies, and the tragedies. Most playwrights tended to specialise in one or another of these, but Shakespeare is remarkable in that he produced all three types. His around 40 plays include tragedies such as Hamlet (1603), Othello (1604), and King Lear (1605); comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream (1594—96) and Twelfth Night (1602); and history plays such as Henry IV, part 1—2. Some have hypothesized that the English Renaissance paved the way for the sudden dominance of drama in English society, arguing that the questioning mode popular during this time was best served by the competing characters in the plays of the Elizabethan dramatists. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 â€“ 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ... A playwright is someone who writes for the theatre. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... An anonymous portrait, often believed to show Christopher Marlowe Christopher (Kit) Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 â€“ 30 May 1593) was an English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. ... Benjamin Jonson (June 11, 1572 â€“ August 6, 1637) was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. ... John Webster (c. ... Costume for a Knight, by Inigo Jones: the plumed helmet, the heroic torso in armour and other conventions were still employed for opera seria in the 18th century. ... Masks in a Guatemalan Market A teenager reading a book, while wearing a dinosaur mask A mask is a piece of material or kit worn on the face. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... Comedy is the use of humor in the form of theater, where it simply referred to a play with a happy ending, in contrast to a tragedy. ... A tragedy may be defined loosely as any work of fiction in which the protagonist suffers a fall in his or her fortunes, and ends in a worse state than that in which they began. ... The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and one of his best-known and most oft-quoted plays. ... King James I of England/VII of Scotland, the first monarch to rule the Kingdoms of England and Scotland at the same time Events March - Samuel de Champlain, French explorer, sails to Canada March 24 - Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James I of... Othello and Desdemona in Venice by ThÃ©odore ChassÃ©riau (1819â€“1856) Othello: The Moor of Venice is a tragedy by Shakespeare written around 1603. ... Events January 14 â€“ Hampton Court conference with James I of England, the Anglican bishops and representatives of Puritans September 20 â€“ Capture of Ostend by Spanish forces under Ambrosio Spinola after a three year siege. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies. ... Events April 13 - Tsar Boris Godunow dies - Feodor II accedes to the throne May 16 - Paul V becomes Pope June 1 - Russian troops in Moscow imprison Feodor II and his mother. ... A Midsummer Nights Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare written sometime in the mid-1590s. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... Events February 5 - 26 catholics crucified in Nagasaki, Japan. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... This page is about the year. ... Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, widely considered the greatest of the histories. ...

During the Interregnum 1649—1660, English theatres were kept closed by the Puritans for religious and ideological reasons. When the London theatres opened again with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, they flourished under the personal interest and support of Charles II. Wide and socially mixed audiences were attracted by topical writing and by the introduction of the first professional actresses (in Shakespeare's time, all female roles had been played by boys). New genres of the Restoration were heroic drama, pathetic drama, and Restoration comedy. Notable heroic tragedies of this period include John Dryden's All for Love (1677) and (Aureng-Zebe) (1675), and Thomas Otway's Venice Preserved (1682). The Restoration plays that have best retained the interest of producers and audiences today are the comedies, such as George Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676), William Wycherley's The Country Wife (1676), John Vanbrugh's The Relapse (1696), and William Congreve's The Way of the World (1700). This period saw the first professional woman playwright, Aphra Behn, author of many comedies including The Rover (1677). Restoration comedy is famous or notorious for its sexual explicitness, a quality encouraged by Charles II (1660–1685) personally and by the rakish aristocratic ethos of his court. Download high resolution version (1073x1424, 1089 KB)Sketch of Aphra Behn by George Scharf (1820—1895) from a portrait believed to be lost. ... Download high resolution version (1073x1424, 1089 KB)Sketch of Aphra Behn by George Scharf (1820—1895) from a portrait believed to be lost. ... A sketch of Aphra Behn by George Scharf from a portrait believed to be lost. ... // Events January 30 - King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is beheaded. ... Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... The Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation. ... Charles II (29 May 1630â€“6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... A genre is any of the traditional divisions of art forms from a single field of activity into various kinds according to criteria particular to that form. ... John Dryden, who formulated and wrote the heroic drama in the 1670s. ... The term she-tragedy refers to a popular vogue in the late 17th and early 18th centuries for tragic plays focused on the sufferings of an innocent and virtuous woman. ... Refinement meets burlesque in Restoration comedy. ... John Dryden John Dryden (August 19, 1631 â€“ May 12, 1700) was an influential English poet, literary critic, and playwright. ... All For Love is a Korean Series dubbed in Tagalog, shown in the Philippines on GMA, the Kapuso Netwrok. ... Events First performance of Racines tragedy, PhÃ¨dre Sarah Churchill marries John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough Battle of Cassel, Philippe I of OrlÃ©ans defeats William of Orange Mary II of England marries William of Orange English Statute of frauds is passed into law Battle of Landskrona Elias... Events January 5 - The Battle of Turckeim June 18 - Battle of Fehrbellin August 10 - King Charles II of England places the foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London - construction begins November 11 - Guru Gobind Singh becomes the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. ... Thomas Otway (March 3, 1652 - April, 1685) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period. ... Written by Thomas Otway, Venice Preservd is the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. ... Events March 11 â€“ Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 - Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. ... Sir George Etherege (1635? - 1692) was an English dramatist. ... Events January 29 - Feodor III becomes Tsar of Russia First measurement of the speed of light, by Ole RÃ¸mer Bacons Rebellion Russo-Turkish Wars commence. ... William Wycherley in 1675. ... William Wycherley in 1675. ... Events January 29 - Feodor III becomes Tsar of Russia First measurement of the speed of light, by Ole RÃ¸mer Bacons Rebellion Russo-Turkish Wars commence. ... Sir John Vanbrugh in Godfrey Knellers Kit-cat portrait, considered one of Knellers finest portraits. ... Colley Cibber wrote the notorious tear-jerker Loves Last Shift. ... The year 1696 had the earliest equinoxes and solstices for 400 years in the Gregorian calendar, because this year is a leap year and the Gregorian calendar would have behaved like the Julian calendar since March 1500 had it have been in use that long. ... This article is about a writer. ... Oxford Playhouse production of The Way of the World; 13 to 17 April, 2004 The Way of the World is a play written by British playwright William Congreve. ... Events January 1 - Russia accepts Julian calendar. ... A sketch of Aphra Behn by George Scharf from a portrait believed to be lost. ... The Rover is a novel by Joseph Conrad, a play by Aphra Behn, and a song by Led Zeppelin. ... Events First performance of Racines tragedy, PhÃ¨dre Sarah Churchill marries John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough Battle of Cassel, Philippe I of OrlÃ©ans defeats William of Orange Mary II of England marries William of Orange English Statute of frauds is passed into law Battle of Landskrona Elias... Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... Charles II (29 May 1630â€“6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Events February 6 - James Stuart, Duke of York becomes King James II of England and Ireland and King James VII of Scotland. ... The Tavern Scene from A Rakes Progress by William Hogarth. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ...

In the 18th century, the highbrow and provocative Restoration comedy lost favour, to be replaced by sentimental comedy, domestic tragedy such as George Lillo's The London Merchant (1731), and by an overwhelming interest in Italian opera. Popular entertainment became more dominant in this period than ever before. Fair-booth burlesque and musical entertainment, the ancestors of the English Music Hall, flourished at the expense of legitimate English drama, which went into a long period of decline. By the early 19th century, the drama was no longer represented by stage plays at all, but by closet drama, plays written to be privately read in a "closet" (a small domestic room). George Lillo (1693 - 1739) was a British playwright and tragedian. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Burlesque was originally a form of art that mocked by imitation, referring to everything from comic sketches to dance routines and usually lampooning the social attitudes of upper classes. ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... A closet drama is a piece of literature written in a dramatic form that is not intended to be performed by actors. ...

A change came in the later 19th century with the plays on the London stage by the Irishmen George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde and the Norwegian Henrik Ibsen, all of whom influenced domestic English drama and vitalised it again. George Bernard Shaw (July 26, 1856 â€“ November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 â€“ November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. ... Henrik Johan Ibsen (March 20, 1828â€“May 23, 1906) was an extremely influential Norwegian playwright who was largely responsible for the rise of the modern realistic drama (dubbed the father of modern drama). It is said that Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare. ...

Today the West End of London has a large number of theatres, particularly centred around Shaftesbury Avenue. A prolific playwright of the 20th century Andrew Lloyd Webber has dominated the West End for a number of years and his works have travelled to Broadway in New York and around the world, as well as being turned into film. The term West End is most commonly used to refer to the West End of London, an area mostly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden, in London, England. ... Shaftesbury Avenue is a major London street, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born March 22, 1948) is a highly successful British composer of musical theatre. ... Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 kmÂ² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ...

The Royal Shakespeare Company operates out of Stratford-upon-Avon, producing mainly but not exclusively Shakespeare's plays. Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company, one of the most influential in the country. ...