Tudor

Events

Before the building of public theatres plays were usually performed in the courtyards of inns.

The first public theatre was opened in London in 1576. Others followed. They were very popular.

Men and women of all classes attended performances. It is thought that there were weekly audiences of 15,000 at the London theatres in late Tudor times.

There was great pressure on the playwrights of the day, including a certain William Shakespeare (shown in the picture), to provide scripts to please a keen, but critical, audience. If they didn't like a performance the audience hissed and booed, and pelted the actors with anything to hand - fruit or stones.

Several of Shakespeare's plays were first performed at the theatre in the picture. What is it called?

Click the picture for an answer.