London and Shakespeares audiences

What was London like during Elizabethan times and who were attending the theatres?

What was London like?

London wasn't very big however the main attractions and entertainment were in London.Though London wasn't very big,the population continued to increase greatly from 50,000 residents to over 200,000 between 1550 and 1600.The population growth was mostly due to migrants from the countryside and Europe.London became very compacted as every available space was being built on whereas in contrast the suburbs grew steadily into the countryside.

Shakespeares audience

London was the richest city in England and was home to wealthy traders,manufacturers and their workers.These were the majority of peole who had money to go to the theatre along with prominent figures such and rich noblemen who became patrons of theatre companies,giving financial and legal support.

The audience in the first playhouses included apprentices,tradesman,ambassadors and other foreign visitors,Scholars and noblemen.

In 1607, the Venetian ambassador bought all the most expensive seats for a performance of Shakespeare’s Pericles

Though royalty attending the theatre and LOVED watching plays on a whole they didn't attend public theatres however companies of actors were summoned to perform at the courts of Elizabeth I and James I.From 1603 to 1613, Shakespeare’s company played at the court of King James about 15 times per year

During 1590's everyone went to the theatre.

Genrally more men then women went to the theatre but all sorts of people went to the theatre as it developed. By 1600, London’s theatre-goers numbered 20,000 per week.

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Performances were giving every afternoon,Monday to Saturday.A fine day and popular play would pack in a large,mixed audience of up to about 3000 people.For one penny you could stand in the yard next to the stage with hundreds of others.Thomas Decker,another playwright,complained of being crowded next to 'garlic-breathed stinkards'.A higher price bought a seat in one of the galleries.-Shakespeare's Theatre by Wendy Greenhill

Similarly to Thomas Decker another visitor in 1617,described the crowd around the stage as 'a gang of reporters and carters.'

'In open air theatres the cheapest tickets were 1 penny which bought you a seat very close to the action on stage.'They could buy food and drink during the performance – pippins (apples), oranges, nuts, gingerbread and ale. But there were no toilets and the floor they stood on was probably just sand, ash or covered in nutshells. Some visitors complained that the pit smelled of garlic and beer and no good citizen would show his face there.'-http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/01/audiences.pdf

For an extra penny you earn yourself a bench seat in the lower galleries which surrounded the yard.For a couple more pennies you could somewhere which had a cushioned seating.The most expenisve were the Lords room which i think the Noblemen would of sat.

How the audience behave?

Though the theatre is made to enjoy the works of playwrights such as Shakespeare not all the audience members came to watch this work.Some came to be admired as they dressed up in their best clothing.Compared to a modern audience,they would not have been as respectful or as silent as people were constantly moving around buying food and drink while talking.This suggests to me that it gathered a similar atmosphere that would be in a pub.They clapped the heroes and booed the villians which is similar to what happens in some pantomimes and they cheered the special effects.Some playgoers,especially those who had saved up money to come and see the play,were extremely annoyed if they were unable to hear the actors and would tell rowdy audience members to quiet down.I think this may of led to many arguments.Fights also broke out because of thieves.

In 1612, magistrates banned music at the end of plays at the Fortune, saying the crowd had caused ‘tumults and outrages’ with their dances. It gets worse because if audience members do not a play they make sure their opinions are heard through violence.At the Swan in 1602, the audience damaged the chairs, stools, curtains and walls. And, in 1629, a visiting French company were hissed and ‘pippin-pelted’ from the stage. This was because the company used women to play the female roles.



What i think?
From this you can tell how society has changed and have become accepting of female actresses.Though i still believe we believe we live in a patriarchal society in some aspects,men are no longer as dominating as before.

Sources that helped me.

Though my work is not copy and paste apart from the quoted sources i did use the Globe website in order to guide me when writing my piece.