Theatre Spaces A historical journey

The beginnings of theatre The earliest forms of theatre are rooted in ritual and would have made use of natural features of the landscape. Click on the features which you think would make good spaces for theatre VALLEY BEACH HILL RIVER Go on to next section

This hillside at Pergamum in Turkey formed a natural theatre space even before the Greek theatre was built.

A beach would not make a good venue for a theatrical event because it does not allow the audience to be on a different level to the performers. Also the noise of the waves might drown out the sound of the actors’ voices.

A valley might make a good venue for a performance if it was shaped to made a natural amphitheatre. This would help the audience to hear and see the performance.

A river would probably not make a good site for a performance, although in some cultures rivers are holy sites and religious rituals are performed both on the banks and on the water. This theatre is built around a river which flows between the audience and the stage!

Greek Theatre The Greeks made good use of the landscape in building their theatres, which were usually part of a complex of other buildings including temples and sports arenas. The theatre at Epidavros The temple of Apollo and theatre at Delphi

Parts of the Greek Theatre Theatron Orchestra Parados Skene Parts of a Greek Theatre

Orchestra Orchestra: The orchestra means the “dancing space”. It was a circular space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. In the center of the orchestra there was often a thymele, or altar. The orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter.

Parados The paradoi were the entrances to the performance space; the audience would use them to enter the theatre, but after the start of the play they would be used by the dancers and actors.

Theatron Theatron: The theatron or viewing place is where the audience sat.

Skene Skênê: pronounced "skaynay" building or tent at back of acting area; often painted for scenery

Roman Theatre The first permanent Roman theatre was built 54 A.D. It was built on level ground with stadium-style seating. The stage was raised to five feet and was large.There were 3-5 doors in the rear wall and at least one in the wings. There were trap doors in the stage. The façade of the stage house was highly decorated The stage was covered with a roof. There were dressing rooms in the side wings. Large theatre would seat several thousand people. There was an awning over the audience to protect them from the sun. In later theatres air was blown over streams of water flowing in the area in front of the scaena called the proskene (proscenium) 125 permanent theatres were built during the empire.

Medieval theatre Medieval theatre was performed in the open air on temporary structures which might have been adapted carts or specially built stages. There were no permanent theatre buildings. Some performances would have been given in the great halls of rich people’s houses.

Elizabethan theatre The Elizabethan theatre companies constructed the first purpose built theatres in Britain since the Romans. They were open structures which were made from timber. The most famous theatre of the period, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has been rebuilt on the south bank of the River Thames.

Elizabethan theatre 2 The stage in Elizathan theatre was raised above the audience in the yard. The stage was covered with a roof which was supported by columns. Much of the audience stood in the yard to watch the play;richer people paid 6d to sit in the balconies. A balcony above the stage could also be used by actors or musicians. Scenes could be revealed through the large doorway under the balcony.

Indoor theatre in Jacobean England During Shakespeare's time plays were also performed indoors. The Blackfriars Theatre was used by the King’s Men and some plays were performed in royal palaces and at the Inns of Court. The stage was lit with candles as in the reconstruction opposite.

Restoration Theatre This is a diagram of the theatre at Drury Lane. It is an indoor theatre with a deep stage equiped with moveable scenery. The audience sat in rows facing the stage and also in boxes and galleries.

Georgian Theatre The theatre in Richmond, Yorkshire is a perfectly preserved example of a Georgian Theatre. Even the woodland scenery is historic. The people sitting in the galleries would have enjoyed watching the people opposite them as well as the stage. The depth of the stage allows for the use of perspective in the scenery.

Victorian Theatre Many theatres were built during the 19th century. Spectacle was an important element of Victorian theatre so the stage was large and deep. The proscenium arch made a boundary between audience and actors.

Modern theatre spaces Theatre in the round describes a theatre space surrounded by the audience. In theatre in the round very little scenry can be used. The actors enter through the audience.

Modern theatre spaces 2 A traverse staging has the acting area between two sections of audience.

Modern theatre spaces 3 The largest theatre in the National Theatre building is an open stage with the audience seated in a curve around one side of the stage.

Modern theatre spaces 4 Street theatre happens outside, and can be a large scale event with huge puppets as well as actors. Street theatre often happens as part of a festival, and takes places in parks and open spaces more often than in the road.

An Indian temple theatre In the south of India theatres are built within the grounds of temples. This is a koothambalum, which is a theatre used in two types of traditional Hindu dance theatre known as kootho and koodiyattam.

Japanese Noh Theatre Noh theatre is always performed in the same type of space. The actors enter the stage on a bridge and behind them is a sounding board decorated with a tree. Even a modern Noh theatre will keep to the traditional design.