16th Century English Playhouses - BSc 2006

World Architecture Essay

16th Century English Playhouses

Index

1. Introduction..................................................................................... 3 2. Some History of Play Houses in England....................................... 3 3. The Basics in the Design and Construction of English Playhouses 4 4. Some Social Context..................................................................... 16 5. A Final Word ................................................................................ 17 Bibliography ................................................................................... 199

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1. Introduction British theatre has a great history. It has evolved and grown through the years, before becoming a popular pastime in England as well as the whole world. Today, the West End has become renowned around the world as the place to experience and enjoy a variety of world-class theatrical entertainment. The history of these theatres did not begin in the West End but, rather, near the banks of the river Thames in London some four centuries ago.

2. Some History of Playhouses in England Before the 16th century plays were performed in private places such as pub courtyards or in the living rooms of houses. Plays and actors were usually religiously linked and the job title of “writer� was almost non-existent. These plays and performers were of the travelling type. Performers would be summoned to various private functions to practice their art.

As London grew and travelling became easier, audiences became larger and plays were more popular. There was therefore a need for a permanent venue to perform plays. The first such place was a barn in Shoreditch which was converted to accommodate the performance of plays1. When this temporary gathering place was established, writers started to appear. Play content stopped being focused on religious events and started to expand into the genres of comedy and tragedy. This led to audiences growing even more and it was at that time that it became clear that a converted barn could no longer satisfy the growing popularity of theatre.

Plans were made to create a space and structure which was to be solely devoted to the staging of plays. In 1576, the first theatre in England was built, which

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Tour guide at the Globe theatre

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was known as the Theatre. The barn was dismantled, and the pieces of timber were slid across the frozen Thames to the other side of the river, where the new theatre was to be erected.2 Playhouses were designed based on houses of those times, which were also often built around a central courtyard, with a timber frame and few passages.

“The theatre follows the ancient Roman plan: it is built of wood and is so designed that the spectators can get a comfortable view of everything that happens in any part of the building”3. Other theatres where also built: the Rose in 1587, the Swan in 1595, the Globe in 1599 and the Fortune in 1600. “In each of them a different play is daily exhibited to the populace. The two more magnificent of these are situated in the southward beyond the Thames, and from the signs suspended before them are called the Rose and the Swan”4.

3. The Basics in the Design and Construction of English Playhouses All theatres were built around the same principle but there was an evolution in the techniques used, as one theatre’s structure was the basis for the next. There was an “if it isn’t broken don’t change it” attitude. This would explain why certain pillars and beams were longer and thicker than necessary, as builders did not want to experiment and refine methods which had already been tried and tested. Theatre dimensions were pretty standard. The exact dimensions of these theatres are not certain, however, modern reconstructions are as close to the original buildings as possible. These structures required a huge amount of timber. For example, to build the Globe, some 10,000 trees had to be cut, even though every piece of timber was put to the best use possible. The most commonly used material was English oak.

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Herbert Berry, Shakespeare’s Playhouses,(New York: AMS Press, Inc., 1987), pp 2-4 Daren Waldmein, diary about the Globe, 3rd July 1600, noted at an exhibition at the Globe 4 Johannes de Witt, c1596 noted at an exhibition at the Globe 3

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Contrary to popular belief, these theatres were not circular. They were polygons of various numbers of sides, depending on the size of the theatre. There where in most cases two towers also, which were the access to the upper floors (see Diagram 2). The Globe theatre, still in existence, for example has 20 sides. The Rose, 14. These sides enclosed an open-air yard, and incorporated a stage and backstage area. Each side could be between 9 and 11 feet (ft) wide, depending on the theatre and the number of sides. For example, a 24-sided theatre would have an 11 ft wide side.

This would result in an 80-foot wide theatre with a 55ft yard. Theatres were designed using dimensions in feet and inches, and the rod was also used as a way of measurement. The rod is the equivalent of 16ft and 6in. Furthermore, measurements were taken plane-to-plane, rather than centre-to-centre. Thus, an 11-foot span between 2 pillars was to be taken from the external surface of the one beam to the external surface of the other.

As mentioned above, The Globe theatre has 20 sides. This resulted in a 100foot diameter theatre (≈ 6 rods), with a height of 33ft (2 rods). It is worth mentioning that in playhouse design, the ratio of width to height was often 3:1. The height of the structure is divided into different sections. Starting from the base, there is a 2-foot high brick plinth all around the structure. This is used to assist with the stability of the structure as well as to keep the wooden frame off the ground to stop absorption of water (see Diagram 10). Above this stone plinth, there are three levels of galleries which house the stalls. The galleries decrease in height as you move higher. The heights are roughly at 12ft, 11ft and 9ft, but these heights varied in other theatres of the past. The remaining height (≈ 9ft) is taken up by the thatched roof. Each floor overhangs the one below (see Diagram 3). This gives extra cover from the elements,

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as well as space to push seats forward to increase visibility. The yard is about 55ft wide (3⅓ rods) and has a diagonal length of 79ft (≈ 4⅔ rods).

It is possible, that this is in some way related to the Ad quadratum method of measuring which was probably used to proportion the yard5. This method links the diameters of 2 circles with a square in which the square is set within the larger circle so that the corners of the square touch the circumference of the circle6. In theatres, Ad quadratum was usually used to link 2 circles. In the case of the Globe, the inner ring and the outer wall (see Diagram 11). It was also used to find relating dimensions, by multiplying one dimension by √2 to find the other. Here, 55ft was multiplied by √2 to give the diagonal length of the yard (≈79ft).

Like most theatres of the time, the whole building is based on a wooden-frame structure (see Diagrams 1-10). All major structural elements are “boxed heart” timbers. This means that the natural circular section of a tree trunk was shaped into a square section, with the heart of the annual rings at the centre. These would have been cut down with a side axe and smoothed down with an adze7. By using this method each element was kept to its maximum strength. The exterior of the structure uses whole pieces of timber for pillars, which can span up to 32 feet. Each side is built separately with these 32-foot pillars at the joining point of two sides. Just above the brick plinth is the sill, the bottom-most, horizontal piece of timber in the structure.

The very top horizontal piece is the wall plate. Between these two horizontal pieces, the long 30ft timbers are found, connecting the two (see Diagram 12). At the base of each floor, a floor frame is attached to the structure connecting this exterior frame to the interior one (see Diagrams 7 and 12). There is another horizontal piece attached 5

Jon Greenfield, ‘Timber Framing, the Two Bays and After’, in Shakespeare’s Globe Rebuilt, ed. By J.R. Mulryne and Margaret Shewring (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), pp 98-100.

6 Jon Greenfield, p 98 7 Jon Greenfield, p 100

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halfway between each floor. This is for added support, as well as an area to build window and door frames onto (see Diagrams 1 and10). The first and second floors have cross bracing at the base of them, while the top floor has the bracing at the top of the floor (see Diagram 10). This pattern is repeated along the whole building (see Diagram 1).

The interior frame does not use the long pieces of timber. Instead, it uses a jetty system, where a rectangular frame is built and put into place (see Diagram 3).

This method was probably cheaper, more stable and easier to construct. It created multiple galleries where seats and stalls were placed. In the case of the Globe, each gallery is between 14ft 6in and 12ft 6in deep, the bottom floor being 12ft 6in deep and the top floor being 14ft 6in deep.

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Diagram 1: The Globe theatre

Diagram 2: The Globe theatre site plan 8

Diagram 3: Globe theatre section

Diagram 4: Joint isographic drawing

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Diagram 5: Inner courtyard and stage

Diagram 6: Column supporting stage cover 10

Diagram 7: Beam supporting upper floor planks

Diagram 8: Internal pillar supporting upper floor

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Diagram 9: Internal pillar supporting upper floor

Diagram 10: External wall showing frame structure

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Diagram 11: Ad quadratum technique

Diagram 12: Frame showing the sill and wall plate 13

One should point out that, this being an all-wooden structure is exposed to the elements. This causes the wood to expand and contract. By placing the jetty system as the interior frame of the structure, it causes the structure to lean slightly inwards during the times of contraction (as jetties shrink more than long pieces of timber), which increases the stability of the structure, since wooden beams increase in strength when in compression.

Here, it is worth noting, that there was a specific order in which the structure needed to be erected otherwise it would make certain pieces impossible to insert into their rightful place. The seats in the structure were independent of the structure. On the bottom floor, the seating would reach all the way back to the exterior wall, as the access to the stalls was from the internal yard. On the other two floors, the seating would stop about 3 feet from the back wall, so as to allow a passageway for access to the stalls (see Diagram 3). Windows were only placed on the second floor. This was to allow light into the stalls, though it was mainly used to improve air circulation, as the whole structure was top lit through the opening in the top of the theatre (which is why there were no windows on the top floor). No artificial light was used at all.

Outside of the main structure there were two towers. These were built into the main polygon structure in the same way as the theatre. These towers provided access to the upper galleries and stalls through a simple stair system. The stairs spiralled up around a square or rectangular centre (see Diagram 2). On each landing there would be a window to allow natural light into the tower. In and among the structure, wooden staves were fitted, which were then covered by either using a wattle and daub system (wattle making the staves oak, hazelnut or willow off-cuts and daub being a mixture of any available loam, brick earth, sand, lime, straw, animal hair and dung) or lath and

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plaster system (plaster being a mixture of lime putty, sand and animal hair), wattle and daub being the most likely of the two8.

In the middle of the structure is where you find the yard where people would stand and watch the performance. These people were labelled by Shakespeare as “groundlings”. The yard was a mixture of sand, mud and hazelnut. The stage came out from the structure and “stretched” into the yard. In the case of the Globe, it is about 43 ft wide and 27 ft deep, raising about 5 ft off the ground. This would allow actors to “hide” within it and rise onto the stage through a trap door. It often represented “Hell” in many plays. On the back end of the stage was a balcony set about 13ft 6in high. This was divided into three parts. The two edge sections were used as seating for the richer, aristocratic people, whereas the middle section was used during the performance (see Diagram 5). The stage had a cover, the highest point being 26ft 9in off the stage. This cover had a function of representing “the Heavens” in plays as it had a small room, known as the pentice house, accessed from the back stages. Actors where lowered down from here through another trap door. It was also used as a place to make sound effects (e.g. rolling cannon balls around on the floor to simulate thunder).

Being an all-wooden structure, there were no soft materials to absorb sound, and since the stage was surrounded by stalls and galleries, sound would rebound off these materials, distributing itself throughout the theatre. The pentice house was decorated with a painting of the sky, the sun, stars and the signs of the zodiac, as well as other planets9. This pentice house was held up by two pillars which appeared to be made of marble. In fact, this is not the case, as the pillars were tree trunks which were 8

Jon Greenfield, ‘Design as Reconstruction: Reconstruction as Design’, in Shakespeare’s Globe Rebuilt, ed. By J.R. Mulryne and Margaret Shewring (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997) pp. 86-87.

9 John Orrell, The human stage: English theatre design 1567-1640, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988), pp 88-89

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painted and extended below the raised stage and into the ground10. This was done to add support and stability (see Diagram 3). These pillars would support the bulk of the weight of the above structure (see Diagram 6). The stage, balcony and cover are good examples of how the architecture influenced the playwright. It is thought, that when scenes where acted out using these areas, the playwright would have chosen these areas because of their position in the theatre, rather than their importance in the play.

He would have wanted people to appear from above, underneath and in the middle of the stage for dramatic effect.

All the measurements and construction methods are uncertain. This is because some theatres were burnt down. Most, however, were closed down or destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. He considered playhouses as being vile, unhealthy places which encouraged dishonest acts like prostitution, and places where illnesses like the plague could spread. This is one reason why theatres were not allowed to be built in the City.

By being built on the riverside, the theatre was outside the authority of the city administration. Cromwell also feared that secret subversive messages might have been hidden within plays which might incite revolt and unrest11. In hindsight, he may have been right in certain cases.

4. Some Social Context It is well known that in the 16th century there were not many places where the public could gather for social events and entertainment. Playhouses were often competing with bear-baiting arenas, which the Queen herself preferred. She did not attend playhouses, because she did not appreciate the environment. She did not trust

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Tour guide at the Globe theatre Tour guide at the Globe theatre

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the mixture of classes. Class division was very visible in the 16th century12. Poor people were not allowed to wear certain colour clothes, did not have access to clean water or an adequate drainage or sewer system. They would watch the performances from the yard exposed to the elements, while the richer, middle and upper class people, sat in the stalls away from the unhealthy, unclean classes below them. This was so that they could be protected from rain, but also to keep an eye on the lower class citizens. It is believed that in front of the bottom-most galleries, spikes were placed. This was to keep the lower class people away from the stalls where the middle and upper class people were sitting. The upper floor of the theatre had a reputation for its shifty, dubious and disreputable dealings and actions, as it was often used as a place for secret meetings between businessmen, as well as prostitutes and their clients.

Most people were uneducated, which is why playwrights refrained from including written matter in their plays13. The area around the theatre was also used as a gathering ground. People would loiter around the theatre before performances. Stalls were set up. Riverboats and ferrymen would carry people across the river as there was only one bridge connecting the two banks of the Thames.

5. A Final Word English playhouses have played an important role in the development of English society and culture. Indeed, they housed many famous playwrights and plays and they are responsible for the development of the English language, as well as the development of the English people. It is a great pleasure to see that some of these

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Andrew Gurr, Playgoing in Shakespeare’s London, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), pp 49-51 13 Andrew Gurr, pp 55

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playhouses have been re-built and are being used today, while trying to keep the authenticity of the building intact.

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Bibliography

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Beckerman, Bernard, Shakespeare at the Globe (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962)

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Berry, Herbert, Shakespeare’s Playhouses, (New York: AMS Press, Inc, 1987)

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Gurr, Andrew, Playgoing in Shakespeare’s London, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987)

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Leacroft, Richard, The Development of the English Playhouse (Norwich: Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1973)

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Mulryne J.R. and Shewring Margaret, Shakespeare’s Globe Rebuilt, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997)

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Orrell, John, The human stage: English theatre design, 1567-1640 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988)

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Thomson, Peter, Shakespeare’s Theatre, 2nd ed., (New York: Routledge, 1992)

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