#011 - Performing on the Elizabethan stage

05/02/19 • 66 min

"Life upon the wicked stage Ain't ever what a girl supposes..."

- from Show Boat

New episode! In episode #11, I explore what life was like on the Elizabethan stage, from its naive origins to the messy, democratic, bawdy theatre world Shakespeare inherited. Join me as I learn about the original hellmouth, why the Puritans were so opposed to the filthy theatre, some fun things to do with a donkey, and how many days it takes to dance your way from London to Norwich...

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or by email at [email protected]. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or download direct from Libsyn. The Patreon campaign is up and running, with bonus Sonnet episodes! We also have a Spotify playlist, which will be updated as we work through the plays.

Key links below. You can also visit the bibliography page here, which is a work in progress.

Links mentioned:

Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (2000);

Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville, The Tragedy of Gorboduc (1561-62);

Stephen Greenblatt, Will in the World (2004);

Reverend John Northbrooke's allegations against the theatre (late 16th century);

Bill Bryson, Shakespeare: The World as Stage (2007);

Representation of the Globe Theatre, at the website of Saint Ignatius College, Geelong;

(New) Globe Theatre, DVD online store;

Slings and Arrows (2003-2006) - Season 1 trailer on Youtube;

Ned Alleyn (1566 - 1626);

Richard Burbage (1567 - 1619);

"Exit: Burbage";

Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy (1978 - 1982);

Richard Tarleton (15?? - 1588);

Will Kempe (15?? - 1603);

Kemp's Nine Days Wonder;

Morris dancing;

Robert Armin (c. 1563 - 1615);

Philip Henslowe (c. 1550 - 1616);

Henslowe's diary... as a blog!;

Shakespeare in Love (1998, d: John Madden). Joseph Fiennes is Shakespeare, Geoffrey Rush is Philip Henslowe, Ben Affleck is Ned Alleyn, Judi Dench is Queen Elizabeth, Martin Clunes is Richard Burbage, Rupert Everett is Kit Marlowe, and Patrick Barlow plays Will Kempe.;

Music:

"We Open in Venice" and "Another Op'nin, Another Show" from Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate: 1999 production with Brent Barrett (Fred / Petruchio), Rachel York (Lili / Kate), Nancy Kathryn Anderson (Lois / Bianca), Michael Berresse (Bill / Lucentio), and Kaye Brown (Hattie);

Music in the Time of Shakespeare – Gigue;

Thomas Morley: Dances for Broken Consort;

Blossom Dearie: Life Upon the Wicked Stage (from Show Boat);

Judy Garland: No Business Like Show Business (from Annie Get Your Gun);

Jason Alexander: Comedy Tonight (from

"Life upon the wicked stage Ain't ever what a girl supposes..."

- from Show Boat

Key links below. You can also visit the bibliography page here, which is a work in progress.

Links mentioned:

Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (2000);

Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville, The Tragedy of Gorboduc (1561-62);

Stephen Greenblatt, Will in the World (2004);

Reverend John Northbrooke's allegations against the theatre (late 16th century);

Bill Bryson, Shakespeare: The World as Stage (2007);

Representation of the Globe Theatre, at the website of Saint Ignatius College, Geelong;

(New) Globe Theatre, DVD online store;

Slings and Arrows (2003-2006) - Season 1 trailer on Youtube;

Ned Alleyn (1566 - 1626);

Richard Burbage (1567 - 1619);

"Exit: Burbage";

Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy (1978 - 1982);

Richard Tarleton (15?? - 1588);

Will Kempe (15?? - 1603);

Kemp's Nine Days Wonder;

Morris dancing;

Robert Armin (c. 1563 - 1615);

Philip Henslowe (c. 1550 - 1616);

Henslowe's diary... as a blog!;

Music:

Music in the Time of Shakespeare – Gigue;

Thomas Morley: Dances for Broken Consort;

Blossom Dearie: Life Upon the Wicked Stage (from Show Boat);

Judy Garland: No Business Like Show Business (from Annie Get Your Gun);

Jason Alexander: Comedy Tonight (from

Previous Episode

#010 - The Taming of the Shrew: A History

"I'm a maid mad to marry And will take double-quick Any Tom, Dick or Harry, Any Tom, Harry or Dick!"

Lois Lane / Bianca, in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate

We're back with episode 10! Today I explore the critical and theatrical history of The Taming of the Shrew, from folk tales to musicals, from the Victorians to vaudeville, from an overacting Christopher Sly to Hollywood's take on the rebel. Come join me!

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or by email at [email protected]. You can subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or download direct from Libsyn.

The Patreon campaign is up and running, with bonus Sonnet episodes! We also have a brand spanking new Spotify playlist, which will be updated as we work through the plays.

Key links below. You can also visit the bibliography page here, which is a work in progress.

Links mentioned:

BBC's Upstart Crow Aarne-Thompson classification system for folklore narratives. The story of "Ledasha" 1550s ballad: “A Merry Jest of a Shrewd and Curst Wife Lapped in Morel’s Skin for Her Good Behaviour” George Gascoigne, Supposes Ovid, Metamorphoses 1601 anecdote about William "the Conqueror" Shakespeare John Fletcher, The Woman's Prize, or the Tamer Tamed (1611) The Enid Blyton Society John Lacy, Sauny the Scot; or, The Taming of the Shrew: A Comedy David Garrick, Catharine and Petruchio 1976 American Conservatory Theatre production on Youtube, starring Marc Singer and Fredi Olster Kiss Me Petruchio (1978) on Youtube The Taming of the Shrew (2012), Globe Theatre production on DVD, starring Samantha Spiro (Kate) and Simon Paisley Day (Petruchio) The Taming of the Shrew (1929), d: Sam Taylor, starring Mary Pickford (Katharina) and Douglas Fairbanks (Petruchio) on Dailymotion The Taming of the Shrew (1967), d: Franco Zeffirelli, starring Elizabeth Taylor (Kate) and Richard Burton (Petruchio) The Taming of the Shrew (1980), BBC, d: Jonathan Miller, starring Sarah Badel (Kate) and John Cleese (Petruchio) Vermeer’s music lesson - copied in Miller's production Pieter Janssens Elinga - Interior with Painter, Woman Reading and Maid Sweeping [1668] The Taming of the Shrew (1994) from Shakespeare: The Animated Tales on Dailymotion 10 Things I Hate About You (1999; d: Gil Junger), starring Julia Stiles (Kat) and Heath Ledger (Patrick) Atomic Shakespeare from Moonlighting, with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis - cropped version on Youtube ShakespeaRe-Told: The Taming of the Shrew (2005; d: David Richards)

Next Episode

#012 - Henry VI, Part 1

"Awake, awake, English nobility!"

In episode #12, we look at Shakespeare's early history play Henry VI, Part 1, which sets the tone for the Wars of the Roses. It's a rip-roaring, Hollywoodised tour of history. Come along to the Gates of Ruin, pick your favourite-coloured rose, and mercilessly mock the French. Why not? Everyone else here is doing it!

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or by email at [email protected].The Patreon campaign is up and running, with bonus Sonnet episodes!

Links mentioned:

The bloody British history that inspired Game of Thrones (iNews)

Victoria (2016 TV series)

E.M.W Tillyard and the "Tudor Myth"

A genealogy of the English monarchs

A genealogy of the French monarchs

The fleur-de-lis, symbol of the French nobility

Key source: Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancaster and Yorke (1548)

Key source: Raphael Holinshed, Chronicles of England, Scotland ,and Ireland (1577)

Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)

M.M. Mahood, Playing Bit Parts in Shakespeare's Plays (1998)

The Prophet Muhammad was alleged to have trained a dove - see Waleed Aly, People Like Us: How arrogance is dividing Islam and the West, 2007,p. 21 (Google Books)

Sybil of Cumae

The "Cardinal's Hat" (former brothel, Southwark)

The Parliament of Bats (1426)

John Barton and Peter Hall, The Wars of the Roses (Wikipedia)

Daedalus and Icarus

Michelangelo's Pietà

Authorship of the play:

At Wikipedia

Christopher Marlowe as the new theory (Folger Shakespeare Library, 2017)

Audio:

Henry VI, Part 1 (LibriVox recording) with John Fricker (Sentinel) and peac (Charles the Dauphin)

The First Part of Henry the Sixt (BBC TV, 1983, d: Jane Howell) with Brenda Blethyn (Joan La Pucelle), Paul Chapman (Suffolk), Julia Foster (Margaret), Alex Guard (Young John Talbot), Trevor Peacock (Lord Talbot)

Henry VI, Part 1 (Arkangel Shakespeare) with Amanda Root (Joan of Arc), Trevor Martin (Edmund Mortimer), Anthony Jackson (Duke of Exeter), David Yelland (Charles, Dauphin of France), and Company

Music:

Sergei Prokofiev, "Montagues and Capulets", from Romeo and Juliet (ballet), 1935

Anthony Holborne, Galliard: The Tears of the Muses (c. 1600)

William Byrd, The Carman's Whistle (late 16th c.)

Tchaikovsky, The Maid of Orléans (excerpts), 1879

Henry Ley, A Prayer of King Henry VI (c. 1940)

Patrick Doyle, original soundtrack to Kenneth Branagh's Henry V

Paul Mealor, A Prayer of King Henry VI (2013)

Giuseppe Verdi, Overture from Giovanna d'Arco (Joan of Arc), 1845