The Theatre

Stage plays have been

around for a long time

• Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’ in 335 BC was the earliest writing

about drama
• William Shakespeare is the most famous but far from
the only famous playwright. He lived between 1564
and 1616.
• During Shakespeare’s time, plays were performed
during the day in summer. There were few props, no
backdrops and all the actors were men.
Back in the day…
• Plays drew in large crowds of people from all social
classes.
• Market stalls would set up to sell food, drinks and
merchandise.
• It had a festival-like atmosphere.
• Entrance fees were dropped into a box and returned to
the ‘box-office’ to be counted.
• Cheaper entrance meant you would stand in the pit for
the whole three hours. It was crowded and messy and
fights often broke out.
• Many Shakespeare plays were popular because they
had vulgar jokes and euphemism, as well as layered
stories.
Plays are meant to be
read

• Plays are formatted with character names

so actors can find their dialogue
• Stage directions are given, often in
italics, so that actors know what to do.
• Information about the setting used to be
given in soliloquies but is now given in a
description of the stage that is used to
make sets and design lighting and sound.
Shakespeare’s Stage
Stage
Directions