World of Shakespeare

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Plays were performed on open-air stages. These theatres had only the stage and a part of the gallery covered. The audience had to imagine much of the scene, so the stage depended more on words, costum…

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The groundlings were lower-class people who stood in the yard or pit of the theatre to watch the performance. They did not sit in seats like the nobility. They formed a large part of the audience in S…

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The inner stage was the space formed by the recess between the two doors at the back of the stage. It was used for special stage action and added another performing area within the theatre.

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A flag was unfurled on the theatre roof, and the start of the play was signalled by a flourish of trumpets. At the sound of the third trumpet, a figure in a long black robe came forward to recite the …

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There was no movable or painted scenery. A change of scene was shown by using simple stage furniture or objects. For example, a branch of a tree could show a forest, and a cardboard rock could show a …

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They were difficult to stage because there was little scenery, hardly any stage lighting, and limited stage equipment. The audience had to use imagination to understand many details. Even so, Shakespe…

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Women were not allowed to act by law, so female roles were played by boys or smooth-faced young men. This was a common feature of the theatre in Shakespeare’s time.

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For a tragedy, the stage was draped in black hangings. For a comedy, it was draped in blue hangings. These colours helped show the kind of play being performed.